Purple Roses
by Vale Luna
Summary: (Sequel to Purple Kisses - The Defenders and Jessica Jones season 2/3 have NOT taken place) Six years after the events in London, Jessica finds that raising a child in a vastly changing world has proven to be a challenge, especially for her. When unexplained gaps in her memory start to become an issue, a familiar face shows up in her life with a story that's hard to believe.
1. Did You Miss Me?

Author's note:

_Vale Luna_ here!

Eh, if you're just stumbling on this story, please know that this is a _sequel _to my other story _**Purple Kisses**_. If you're looking for something to read, start there!

If you're a returning reader, hey fam! Long time, no see! Okay... it hasn't been that long at all. Surprised? As am I. I guess I couldn't wait to get back to work. Anyway, if you've read the description, you're ready to jump right in! See you at the bottom ;)

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_**Chapter One: Did You Miss Me?**_

It was Jessica's first week of kindergarten duty. She figured having the kid out of her apartment during the day was going to make her responsibility as a mother more relaxed. She was very wrong.

"Axel! Axel David Jones, get your a-... get your butt out here, _now_, before you miss the bus!" Jessica yells at his door, quickly getting the bag of healthy snacks Trish had prepared for him out of the fridge.

Thankfully, Trish volunteered to help with a lot of things before and since the birth of Jessica's son. She was much better at organizing a nursery and all that crap than Jessica was. And knowing that it was going to be a hectic first week, Trish had taken a few extra steps to ensure that her sister wasn't _too_ overwhelmed.

However, Axel was not making her job any easier.

From the moment Jessica left the hospital with him, she knew he was going to grow up to be a handful. The boy was a fighter. Born prematurely at three weeks early and weighing only five pounds and nine ounces, he was placed on life support for the first month of his life. Only when they planned to release him did Jessica fully give him his name, as a mark of his strength.

As he complained to her for the last two days, he didn't like school and he rejected going willingly.

Jessica knew he was awake and dressed because _she _woke him up and dressed him, but he simply refused to leave his room.

"Axel." She growls this time and opens his door with a tight fist. Of course, as she expected, he wasn't visible. She sighs through her nose and rolls her eyes to herself. "Come on, kid. Don't make me do this every morning."

He doesn't respond or move to give away his position, so she was going to have to look.

The key was to find anything that was relatively his size, and that was a duplicate of something already in the room. Often times, it was his stretched out blanket or his treasure chest on the floor by the window. But today, Jessica could clearly spot the second nightstand by his bed. It was obviously him because she knew exactly where the first one was placed and there was no collected dust on top.

This was the first time he went as the nightstand which seemed like a more complicated transformation. In her head, she was impressed by his developing skill, but she couldn't say that to him now.

"Okay, nightstand." She calls him out, then pokes the top, where his head would be. "I found you. Now let's go."

There's a ripple from where her finger had touched as the fake nightstand melts in its place, becoming an undefined, grey blob, just before the true shape of Axel's body returns. His clothes appear with him and the boy frowns up at his mother. "I thoughts you wouldn't see me that time." He pouts and crosses his arms over his chest.

Axel accidentally started using his powers a year after he was born. Besides how startling it was for Jessica to watch her son turn into an identical form of the shirt she was wearing one day, it came as a surprise because it was already established that he wasn't a mutant.

Thanks to a new law that was passed a few months before she gave birth, any newborn had to be tested for the X-gene. Whether the gene was active or dormant didn't matter. Anyone who tested positive would be tattooed with an X on the inside of their left wrist. Along with newborns, anyone who was already on the registration list was tracked down and given the same mark, no matter the age. This was nothing more than the government trying to ease people's fear. As if knowing that someone around them was a mutant was going to relax anyone.

Axel was tested and given no such mark. So just like his mother, his powers were unconventional. It probably had a lot to do with who his father was too…

By the time he was three, Jessica could tell he was transforming into things on purpose, which gave him a distinct advantage during hide-and-seek. His abilities were most likely going to continue to change and develop, but for now, he had specific limits. He had to be touching whatever he decided to turn into, and it had to be relatively the same size as him. Knowing that, it wasn't hard to pick out what he was duplicating.

Thankfully, the only other person who was aware of his abilities was Trish.

Jessica made sure Axel agreed that whenever she spotted him, he had to change back. So far, he followed that rule.

Dressed in jeans and a plain indigo T-shirt, the boy looked remarkably like his father. The main difference was that Axel's short brown hair was a slightly lighter shade. Jessica tried to get his hair to comb down, but he often ran his fingers through it and spiked it upwards. His eyes were the same brown as his mother's and yet one could see every crystal-like structure in his iris. It made it that much more heartbreaking when he cried.

Now, he stood in front of Jessica with his arms still crossed, looking up at her. "I don't wants to go…" He mumbles this, then stares at the floor.

"You haven't even given it a real shot, it's your third day." Forcing his arms to uncross, she grabs him by the hand and pulls him out of his room.

"The other boys don't like me…" He continues to mumble as she helps him get his backpack on.

Sadly smiling, Jessica drops to her knee in front of him and wipes the sleep from the corner of his eye. "You'll make friends in no time." His face suggests he's not convinced, and she sighs again before asking. "Do you trust me?"

Axel hesitates as if it was a trick question. "... Yes…?"

"Okay, well, I think you're great. And when they get to know you, I bet everyone in your class will too."

His head tilts naturally. "Really?"

"Really." She smiles again and kisses his forehead. "Now, before we go to the bus, tell me the rules."

He huffs and shifts on his feet, struggling to recall the two things they had been over so many times. "I do nots use my powers in public. I do nots talk about my powers in public."

The frustrated expression he gives the floor makes her grab him by the shoulders. "Hey, look at me." When he does, she sternly says, "I'm serious, kid. No powers outside this apartment."

"Okay! Okay!" He whines, trying to squirm out of her tight grip.

Seeing that he got it, she lets go of his shoulders, only to pull him into a hug. "I love you, Axel."

His small arms wrap around her and he grips the back of her shirt, nuzzling his head against her shoulder. "I love you too, Mommy."

Jessica starts, "Always have, -"

"- Always will." Axel finishes.

And dammit if she didn't love that boy. Not having an abortion despite the pressure she felt was turning out to be the best decision she ever made. He was everything she lived for now. Like it or not, Axel was changing her. She'd do anything to protect him.

What she was feeling now was not always the case, so the saying 'Always have, always will' wasn't necessarily accurate. The first few months with him were much harder. Besides all the struggles a single mother with a newborn has to face, postpartum depression made every little thing feel like torture. Every time she held him, it felt like holding a stranger. Questions like, _what am I doing with this stranger in my apartment?_ And _why am I supposed to love him?_ Came up constantly. And of course, the question of if she was fit to be a mother.

But her feelings for him changed with time as she learned how to properly care for him. Now she found herself at the point of unconditional love.

Even still, the question of whether she was actually fit to be a mother was one she had left to answer. She was fucked up enough as it is and now she had a whole other person she had to be responsible for. She certainly wasn't a perfect mother and it was questionable if she was even a good one. There were times when she felt way too intolerant to deal with Axel or his behavior and in regrettable instances, she would snap at him when he was simply acting as any child would.

As it always had, it took her a large number of drinks to get drunk, so she still drank regularly, but almost always when Axel was asleep. Her fear was that one night, Axel would need her and she wouldn't be in her right mind enough to help him. But giving up alcohol was not really an option. So many things in her life now perpetuated her need for it.

One, being her goddamn libido. She probably should have taken Victor's warning a little more seriously all those years ago when he reminded her that this was a side effect for life. And now both the reason she had it and her relief from it was dead… There was no one to fill that hole either. Men came and went like nothing and no one was ever allowed to stay the night. She didn't need to have Axel asking questions about the different men leaving her room in the morning. Besides, having a son made it nearly impossible to have a real relationship with anyone, even if she wanted one.

And so, alcohol was used to tame her desires when she was too busy to search for a meaningless fuck. For the circumstances she was in, she was doing the best she could.

Now, holding her son's hand, she takes him to the designated area that his bus was supposed to show up.

They had barely arrived on time so Jessica receives a few judgemental glares from the other parents. She does her best to ignore them, but it was only day three and they were already getting under her skin.

Just before sending Axel off, she says to him, "I'm might be late coming home from work, so Aunt Trish is going to pick you up from the bus stop. Is that okay?"

He nods, though he seemed distracted by the other kids, lining up to get on.

"Okay, kid." She sighs and lets him go. "Have fun…"

Axel shuffles on the bus to take a seat by the window where he nervously waves goodbye to his mother.

*****_DID YOU MISS ME?_*****

Trish had implored Jessica to have an abortion, only after the horror of the fact that she had sex with _him_ settled in, and it was the first she was hearing about it. Jessica considered it for quite some time and before she could even make up her mind, it was too late to back out. Luckily, Trish's judgment of who his perceived father was didn't reflect negatively at all on her relationship with Axel. She loved him as any aunt should, and the feeling was mutual.

She arrived after noon with some work of her own to do and a few new toys for Axel, listening to what Jessica had to say about their morning routine.

Jessica's head falls against her desk and she groans. "I'm going to lose my shit if he does this every morning before school."

Trish laughs and sits down adjacent to her on the sofa. "It's not like he's hard to find. Besides, he's just having a bit of fun, Jess."

"That's the problem!" Lifting her head, she looks her in the eye, obviously filled with concern. "He thinks it's fun, Trish. He thinks using his powers is just a game. What's gonna happen if he wants to show-off to some of the other kids in his class? Or worse, if the teacher sees him doing that? They could… I don't know. They could take him away from me to do tests on him or something. And what if they give him that goddamn mark on his wrist after all? He's gonna grow up being discriminated against every day in his life!" Her fists clench at the thought and she tries to steady her breath. "I can't… I can't protect him out there."

Trish frowns and she can feel the worry in Jessica's tone. "Hey… it'll be okay. Axel's a smart kid. He won't disobey the rules you gave him, alright? I'm sure he won't." This doesn't seem to ease Jessica at all, so she attempts to give her a bit of a vacation. "Why don't you take the whole night off? I can put him to sleep."

Although she appreciated the gesture, Jessica still shakes her head. "No, I'll be back. He'll freak out if I'm not here to tuck him in." Picking up her bag, she slings it over her shoulder and stands up. "You're doing enough for me already…"

"Oh, please. I love spending time with him, you know I don't mind." Jessica's lack of energy was obvious to anyone and especially Trish. "Just… don't overdo it, alright?"

"When do I ever overdo anything?" Jessica manages to smirk back as she heads for the door.

After Axel's birth, Jessica had to childproof her apartment. That also meant she couldn't have her business there anymore. The last thing she needed was potentially psychotic clients coming around her kid. With Trish's and Malcolm's help, they were renting an office a few blocks away which was the new site for Alias Investigations. Jessica could still work from home, but she had to have her meetings at the office.

As understanding as ever, Malcolm was still running things with her when she started working again. It almost bothered Jessica that he was so dedicated to the job, and she couldn't see why someone of his nature would ever stick around and deal with her shitty attitude on a day to day basis. She'd snap and tell him to fuck off, and he'd return with coffee. Why? Honestly, it probably had something to do with Trish.

Malcolm and Trish had been hiding their relationship for a few months from Jessica. But Jessica was a P.I. and they were the two closest adults to her in her life. No way in hell she wouldn't have figured it out. Really, the only surprise was that it took them this long to finally get together. The sexual tension between them was bad enough before, now it was just obvious and unbearable. There was no reason for Jessica to ever bring it up, and she was glad that she hadn't had that awkward conversation with either of them yet. What they wanted to do with themselves was not her concern. But she suspected that Malcolm's affection for her sister often translated into his behavior with her.

Either way, she hated to admit it, but she needed him as a partner. She needed _someone_ as a partner. And Malcolm was the only guy who understood her past and was willing to put up with her.

Yet, business wasn't great. After coming back to work from her own maternity leave, Jessica had to be careful in the way she went about investigating. Normally, using her strength in public was something she did naturally and without thought. It was New York. No one ever gave a shit about anything anyone else was doing. But now, anything out of the ordinary was extensively questioned. It made it somewhat harder to get things done if she was constantly questioning who was watching around her. Sometimes, she'd just send Malcolm on a solo mission because it was too mentally exhausting for her.

But lately, that wasn't even the worst of what she had to deal with. In the past month, she was experiencing strange gaps in her memory that were making work close to unmanageable. Almost every other day for three weeks straight, several hours of her life would simply vanish. Nearly every instance happened when she was home and Axel was already in bed. Normally, she would use that time while he was asleep to work from home.

Now, she could remember that she would be sitting down behind her desk, doing some research, and then all of a sudden, she was waking up in bed the next day. Her clothes were often scattered over her bedroom floor and a lot of times, the file of the case she had been working on had been pushed onto the floor, along with anything else on the desk. It looked as though she had thrown a tantrum or gotten into a fight with someone, and then went to sleep and forgot the whole thing.

The initial explanation she went with was that she got wasted and blacked out. But she never got _that_ drunk with Axel at home. It didn't add up. The only other explanation she could think of was… _his_ ability to erase memories. Could someone else with the same power be fucking with her?

The thought was unsettling. It almost made her worried to be alone while Axel was asleep. But she couldn't have Trish spending the night every day just to protect her from an imaginary foe. Certainly there was another, more reasonable answer for this. She was considering placing cameras in the apartment to capture whatever was going on, but she hadn't yet because the truth worried her. What if she was experiencing some sort of psychotic breakdown? This irrational fear of hers made sure she didn't tell anyone about it either. This being one of _two_ of the only secrets she had left to keep to herself.

She would have to figure out the cause of it sooner or later… All this meant, for now, was that she had to get more work done in her office before she went back home.

Malcolm almost always showed up before her, because he was actually on time, according to their posted hours. He was sitting behind his own desk when she arrived, talking on the office phone.

Seeing her, he nods a hello and finishes making an appointment with the client he was speaking to. Upon hanging up, he watches her drag herself to her chair. "You look like hell." He points out, not sounding surprised. "Getting him to school is _that_ bad?"

Jessica glares at him and plops down in her seat, grumbling. "You don't know the half of it."

Knowing she wasn't going to elaborate, he stands up, taking his jacket off the back of the chair. "Have you eaten today? I'm going to get lunch, I can bring you something back."

Instead of actually answering, she just mumbles, "I'm fine."

He shrugs. "Okay. I'll be back before the appointment in an hour."

Jessica looks at the time and tries not to groan.

Malcolm leaves silently. Though he offered and she turned him down, he was going to bring her back something to eat anyway, and she knew that.

The first thing she does when she logs onto her computer was scroll through her news feed. She hated reading the news but she had to stay updated in case anyone wanted to come up with any other dumbass law that pertained to her or her son. What she sees at the bottom of her list brings back awful memories.

The headline read, '_After Years of Deliberation, UK Government Decides to Willfully Execute Clones'_.

Parts of the article went on to say, '_Three years after the concluded investigation into Elijah Glitch and his corporation, the United Kingdom has finally made a decision on what to do with the remaining clones that were created during Glitch's life. Dozens of employees have already been sentenced to prison, some receiving between two years and life. But the fate for Glitch's clones is much harsher. [...] _

_The decision comes as a surprise to few and was expected by many. A number of members in Parliament spoke out, saying that the clones were created in an "ungodly" manner, and should not be allowed to continue life, conclusively pleased with the outcome. This comes after extreme push back from the 'Life is Life' campaign, largely led by mutant allies. Even with philosophy and ethics experts on their side, protesting for the clones to live has ultimately failed. The executions will be by lethal injection and will proceed as scheduled sometime next year. _

_Speculation about whether or not the clones could be used as organ donors has been circulating in the medical field. But tests show that the mixture of Glitch's genes could have negative side effects and experts say it is not worth the risk.'_

Jessica's head drops back into her hands. Kevin and his sacrifice had changed her perspective and now she couldn't help but feel partially responsible for this shit. Six goddamn years later and her involvement with Glitch was still haunting her.

She didn't have time to think about this. She had clients to prepare for.

*****_DID YOU MISS ME?_*****

Day 1:

It was just after midnight and Jessica had put Axel to sleep several hours ago.

The knock on the door is the second she receives that night, as her other two visitors had left less than an hour ago.

Jessica was preparing to go to bed herself, but she doesn't show any annoyance to the matter that someone was stopping by so late. In fact, she smiles. "Coming!" She calls with uncharacteristic and giddy excitement.

Her day clothes were scattered all over the bedroom floor and some had been thoughtlessly torn. Still, she throws on her jeans and shirt. The tears in the shirt make it nothing more than scraps of cloth, that hung off her shoulders, barely covering her exposed breasts.

Right now, she was much too careless to mind.

When she opens the door, the smile leaves her face and she blinks at the man standing in front of her.

"Jessica." He breathes, his heart pounding at the sight of her. It had been six years after all.

Dressed in a classically dark purple, three-piece suit, almost nothing about him had changed from the last time they saw each other. Nothing except an unidentified black mark on his neck, just below his ear, and the fact that the signs of sickness weren't there anymore. But he appeared to have not aged a day.

From the looks of her, Jessica hadn't changed much either. And fuck if she didn't look beautiful in this moment. She had some sort of glow to her, like a sense of satisfaction that made her that much more gorgeous. Not to mention the obvious lack of a bra and proper top.

The statement '_I've missed you_' is the first to come to his mind, as he had been waiting for this moment. But he knew well that she had been without him much longer than he remembered being without her. So instead, he asks, "Did you miss me?" He can't help but provide a devilishly charming grin, his head tilting in anticipation of her reaction.

For a second, Jessica slowly scans him up and down before her eyebrows furrow. Not with concern, but just slight confusion. "I'm sorry… do I know you?"

* * *

Author's note part 2:

A common reaction to this chapter would be, "What the fuck is going on?" Don't worry, you aren't alone in your confusion. So many questions! :)

_Lady in rose_ has helped me gather my ideas for the plot, though nothing is completely finalized. She also tried to persuade me to give Jessica a little girl and not a boy. Haha, I commend her effort. While it has come to my attention that Jessica first has a girl in the comics, that was a result of her marriage to Luke Cage. Clearly, that is not the case here, and though I love adding nods to the comics, this is its own story. Plus, almost every other fanfic I've read with Jessica having a kid, it was a girl and I like shaking things up. I also like the idea of Axel looking 'like his father'!

Another random thought, the title I chose for this story is not as random as it appears. But I'll explain when we get to that.

This is going to be one hell of a ride, folks. And not a short one either. I'm not going to bullshit myself and say we'll be done in 30 chapters again lol. Still, it's good to be back, eh? Not sure how "back" I am yet, but I had so much fun writing this and I'm excited to keep going!

Please follow and review! I won't disappoint! Just one question; did you miss me?


	2. The Risen

_**Chapter Two: The Risen**_

(Still) Day 1:

Out of all the things she _could_ have said, this was not one that he had expected or even thought was possible. Was she joking? She had to be, right? If she was, that was an awfully cruel joke for their reunion. No, she should be surprised. She _had_ to be surprised. He knew for a fact that his appearance was no different than it was six years ago so it couldn't be that she simply didn't recognize him.

"Jessica…" He begins to frown as he stares back at her confused expression and the rate of heartbeat increases.

"Yeah, that's me." Jessica blinks back at him and slowly begins to smile again as if his expression was humorous to her. Still holding onto the door, she asks once more, "Do we know each other?"

It couldn't be that she _forgot_ him… could it? Something was wrong.

"Of course we know each other." Now it felt like his heart had dropped into his stomach. "It's me…" He starts, shifting his weight. "Kilgrave."

This doesn't register with her but she does pause to think for a moment. "Wait, your _name_ is Kilgrave? Like… that's your _name_?" Clearly fascinated, yet amused, she leans forward a bit, stifling a giggle. "I think I would remember meeting someone with a name like that."

Had he woken up in a nightmare?

Seeing the startled and dismayed look that was plastered on his face, she shrugs, unapologetically. Letting go of the door, she inspects his clothing again and goes up on her toes to get an up-close look at his five o'clock shadow. Curious and in no rush to go to sleep, she questions, "So… _Kilgrave_. How do you suppose I know you?"

Having her move so close, his body stiffens as he breathes in her air for the first time in a long time. The rise and fall of his chest quickens and he manages to weakly mutter, "We're in love…"

This time she laughs aloud, not to mock him, but to show how the idea delighted her. "Oh, really?" Her eyes flash at him now, and she steps back. "You know, I find it hard to believe that I would _forget _being in love with a hot British guy, such as yourself. But I'm glad this fictional version of me has good taste." Without much thought on the matter, she pushes the door open wider and turns her back to him. "Come in, if you'd like." Having no problem inviting a stranger into her home in the middle of the night, she pulls a bottle of whiskey off the top of a shelf by her desk.

Generally still stunned, he carefully follows her inside and closes the door behind him.

The inside of her apartment was a bit of wreck, but he expected no less. There were a few kids toys scattered on the floor around one of the closed doors. Also on the floor was a number of papers that belonged to a case file. She doesn't seem to notice at all when she steps on them.

With nothing on her desk, she sits on the edge with her legs open towards the seat in front of her. She watches the way he stands in the middle of the room looking around and smirks a little to herself as she brings the alcohol up to her lips. Taking a swig, she gestures to the chair. "Why don't you sit?"

The way she was sitting makes him very still. For him, it felt like just a few months ago that they _almost _had sex at the dinner table when she sat that way, inviting him to fuck her.

He doesn't move.

Yet, there was absolutely no recognition of the long past they had together in her eyes, which causes him to mutter, "What happened to you?"

The question doesn't seem to bother her and she shrugs. "I could ask you the same thing, mister." This time, she extends the bottle toward him. "You look like you could use a drink."

Kilgrave hesitates, but eventually reaches forward and takes it from her. Why the hell not? The moment the whiskey touches his lips, he grimaces but takes a large gulp of it anyway.

This causes Jessica to smile at him. He was cute in an enticing way. Even if he had some sort of mental impairment that made him believe something the wasn't true, she wouldn't mind having him stick around for a bit.

When it's handed back to her, she says, "Alright. I'm guessing that at least one of us is delusional. And I think it's you. Still, I'm not an unreasonable person, so I'm going to give you a chance to make your case." Again, she gestures to the chair directly in front of her. "Come on. Sit."

This causes him to scoff and almost laugh a little, despite the situation. "Jessica, you are a _very _unreasonable person." There's another pause before he pulls the chair away from her slightly and decides to sit.

"Am I?" She giggles. "You say my name like we've known each other forever. It's very convincing…"

"We've known each other for _years_." He sounds wounded now, continuing to try and _not _be distracted by her appearance.

"Is that so?" Obviously entertained, she goes on to ask the bigger question. "Then how come I don't remember you?"

"You tell me."

If only she wasn't still immune to his powers. He could make her remember him and explain what the fuck was going on. How long had she been like this?! And why didn't anyone tell him? The idea makes his fists clench. All this goddamn information they gave him about Jessica and her life now, and they didn't bother mentioning that her memory was messed up? Why would they send him to her, knowing that?

"All I know is that _one_ of us has this all wrong." Fairly certain that she was in the right, she beams, "Tell me more about this relationship we supposedly had." Her eyes scan him again, salaciously this time.

Her gaze makes him hot and he pulls at his collar, looking away from her for a moment. If she was trying to make him want her, it was working. Not that she needed to try. But he couldn't do this now. Not while she was like this...

Instead of trying to explain anything that they had been through together, he attempts to get to the bottom of whatever was happening with her. "What _do_ you remember?"

Now, she frowns, disappointed that he didn't answer. It would be nice to hear this man explain everything about his delusion and give all the juicy, _sultry_ details. She was in the mood to be playful and his question wasn't helping. "What do you mean?"

Being more specific, he asks, "Do you remember anything that happened in London six years ago?"

"_Six_ years ago? No… what happened?"

"Do you recognize the name 'Elijah Glitch'?"

"No… should I?" Becoming slightly frustrated that he wasn't explaining anything, her eyebrows furrow.

The magnitude of her memory loss was astounding, but he couldn't help but be relieved that it wasn't _only_ him that she had forgotten. And yet, the cause of this was yet to be discovered and if it could be reversed or not.

Going much further back in time, he slowly asks, "Where were you born, Jessica? What happened to your family?"

"My family…?" And just like that, it starts to dawn on her that something was wrong with _her_, not this man.

"Bloody hell…" Kilgrave mumbles to himself and pinches the bridge of his nose. He was going to have to go back to the base and find someone who could sort this out. But before he did that, he wanted one more thing. Though his first time seeing Jessica again was not what he wanted at all, someone else could redeem this moment. Standing up, he sighs and resists the urge to caress her cheek. Alternatively, he looks down into her discontented and puzzled eyes and says, "Before I go, let me meet our son."

What troubled both of them was that her understanding did not change at all. "Our son…?"

His eyes widen now with disbelief. "Yes, Jessica. _Our son_, Axel."

How could she be living with a child without knowing she had a child?

"Axel." She repeats out loud and suddenly she was hyperventilating. "My son, Axel." Her eyes shift to the toys on the floor. Yes, of course, she had a son. How could she have forgotten him? Little snippets of her memory of Axel come back to as she stares at the evidence. What was wrong with her?!

That abruptly, she realizes that she has no idea who she is or _anything _about her life. All she knew was her name. And that apparently she had a son. For more than hour now, she was simply existing in one single moment and nothing more.

As the panic on her face becomes evident, he steps back. She couldn't be trusted to stay here alone with Axel. Not right now. Not like this. Kilgrave would have to put in a call but stay with her. He wouldn't really mind. They weren't expecting him to come back to base tonight anyway.

Turning around, he says nothing else and starts to move towards the closed door that appeared to be Axel's room. He had to see him.

But just as quickly, Jessica slides off the desk and grabs his wrist, jerking him to a halt. "What are you doing?" Her eyes reflect those of a startled animal.

"I'm going to see our son." He tries to say gently and pull away, but her grip only tightens.

"No…" She slowly replies, trying to get her head straight. "Get out." Before he has a chance to protest or react, she was shoving him hard towards the front door. There were no words to describe how panicked she was feeling in this instant.

Kilgrave stumbles backward and tries to get her to calm down in vain. "Jessica, don't -"

"Get out!" She very nearly screams this time, opening the door and closing it in his face within a second. Quickly locking the door behind her, she slams her back against it, panting.

Who was she?!

*****_THE RISEN_*****

Obviously, Kilgrave wasn't going to leave her there by herself like that all night. But he had to come back with reinforcements. There had to be someone in this freakshow that could fix her misplaced memories.

Yet the second he explained her extreme memory loss to the advisor who was assigned to him, he gets a curious look in return.

The advisor's name was Shadow (at least that's what he called himself). With eyes _identical _to those of a cat and ruffled black hair like a mane, he had been assigned to serve Kilgrave with anything he desired and any questions he needed to have answered. Despite being no older than thirty, he had been with the organization for more than ten years, before it was under new management.

Shadow knew exactly what he had signed up for when he volunteered to be an advisor to The Risens. It was not an easy task. But dealing with irritable, confused, and anxious people was his specialty. Kilgrave was the fifth Risen that he was given to mentor and his other four were now living perfectly healthy and wonderful lives, still serving the cause. Although Kilgrave was dormant _much_ longer than his other mentees were, he would be no different than them. The first few months of adjustment would be hard, but Kilgrave would learn and fall into a rhythm as they all did.

Knowing that, Shadow didn't show any signs of irritation when Kilgrave showed up and pounded on his dormitory door in the middle of the night. Instead, he keeps his pajama pants on and throws on a clean T-shirt before opening the door to him.

Though confident in his work, Shadow was a soft-spoken man, and he seems bewildered to hear what had happened to Jessica.

"Do you have someone here who can fix her, or not?" Kilgrave asks impatiently, still standing by the door.

Shadow's eyes glow in the dark lit room and he avoids the question. "Master Zayden is working late tonight, preparing for his visit to division 1. I think this is a matter you should discuss with him directly."

Kilgrave's eyes roll. It had only been a few weeks but dealing with that kid was not something he was fond of in the slightest. "Why?" He scowls, glaring to show his disagreement with the idea.

Shadow doesn't appear fazed at all by his clear annoyance and simply stands up, opening the door again. "Trust me, Kilgrave. I have a suspicion of what has happened to her. If I am correct, Jessica is in no danger, but I would like you to hear it from Zayden himself."

Kilgrave grumbles and makes for the open door, "Fine."

"I will call him and let him know you are on the way." Shadow nods, though Kilgrave already had his back to him. "If I can be of any more assistance tonight, please come back."

The series of dorm-like rooms that Shadow lived in was in a building in upper Manhattan called Price Hall. With community bathrooms and kitchens, all other residents were either advisors and employees of the organization or Risens who didn't have anywhere to go. Kilgrave had a room just across the hall from Shadow that he was staying in since he's been awake. The plan was to move out immediately following his reunion with Jessica, but now that plan would have to change.

Price Hall was directly connected to the _Organized Division for Mutant Allies_ headquarters by a corridor on the ground floor. The organization, or _ODMA_ in New York was classified as division 2 and was the base of most of Zayden's operations.

It was about a six-minute walk from Shadow's room to Zayden's office. In the glass HQ, Zayden had nearly the entire top floor of the five-story building to himself and his own procedures, having a substantially larger office than his employees.

When Kilgrave reaches the right room, Zayden sees him coming and flips a switch to unlock his electronic door, inviting Kilgrave in.

Sitting behind his desk, Zayden appeared to be just getting off the phone with Shadow, as he says into his cell, "Here he is now." Without a proper goodbye or thank you, he hangs up and places his phone in his pocket.

At only twenty-five years old, with a height just shy of six feet tall, Zayden Price sat with a naturally rigid posture, but not necessarily formal. His eyes were an emerald green color, murky like a fog had passed over his iris, yet still piercing wherever his gaze turned. His face was clean shaven and he had fairly long, layered hair, in a raven cut. The color was naturally inconsistent and fluctuated between dark strands of grey and pure white, the tone and texture like the fur coat of a wolf. His uneven bangs cut diagonally across his face, overshadowing his right eye. A few stands fell out of place from its spiked pattern, but he pulled it off with ease. Still dressed in his day clothes, he wore a soft grey, silk button-up shirt, with white jeans accompanied by short, black leather boots and a wallet chain hanging from his belt loop. The thin silver overcoat that he normally had on was laying over the back of his chair, and his sleeves were rolled up, as he had been typing before his visitor arrived.

His voice was often modulated and honeyed, to give the illusion that he was a pleasant person, and his tone rarely changed unless he felt threatened or was angered.

He doesn't offer Kilgrave a seat when he comes in, but shrugs when he sits down anyway. Picking up a pen, he twirls it between his fingers and says, "I understand your reunion with Jessica didn't go smoothly."

Everything about Zayden was offputting to Kilgrave, and conversations with him were more than uncomfortable but also inevitable. "Why did Shadow send me here?"

Zayden leans back in his chair and rocks a few times, looking up at the ceiling for a moment. "Besides the memory loss, how was Jessica acting when you saw her?" He pauses, locking eyes with Kilgrave again. "Let me guess. She seemed more… _spirited _than usual? Maybe even a bit sexually charged?"

Kilgrave's eyes narrow. He hadn't mentioned her specific behavior to Shadow. "How did you know that?" To that affirmation of his suspicion, Zayden scoffs. Not at Kilgrave, but at the thought that comes to him as a result of what he knew now was true. This prompts Kilgrave to ask, "What am I not being told?"

With a sigh, Zayden leans back more and languidly kicks his feet up on his desk, nearly knocking a few things over. He doesn't mind them. Instead, he glares up at the ceiling again. "I know who's done this to her"

"Who?" Kilgrave practically demands, not amused by Zayden's mostly childlike behavior.

Zayden doesn't mind him either and flicks the pen he's holding across the room. "Two pains in my ass, that's who." He was grumbling to himself, but speaking loud enough for Kilgrave to hear. When he actually addresses Kilgrave, he looks in his direction with disdain. "The sisters. Aura and… _Bliss_." He says the second girls' name with added contempt, sighing at the thought of her. "Two ex-employees of mine, gone rogue."

The way he talked about them, causes Kilgrave's suspicions to grow. "And they're… like me?"

"You mean Risens? Yes." He answers, regarding their existence coldly. "Like any Risen who chooses to leave, I didn't bother tracking them down, but I did strip them of their new identities." After pushing some of the hair away from his eyes, he explains, "Aura has the ability to scramble memories and Bliss… she has the power to create intense feelings of pleasure in whoever she touches. That would explain both of Jessica's symptoms. Each effect only lasts a couple of hours, so she should be back to normal by morning."

Instead of bothering to ask why they left, Kilgrave says, "Tell me, what do they want with Jessica?"

Zayden smirks and picks up another pen, clicking it repeatedly. "Are you asking, or commanding?" Taking his feet down, he sits up straight and rests his elbows on his desk. "I'm sure it feels nice not to have that killer device in your neck anymore, but remember we're in a power dead-zone. We're all on equal playing fields here, Kilgrave. You can control anyone you want outside of this building. But not here. And not me."

Almost instinctively, Kilgrave reaches behind his head and touches the base of his neck where the technology that killed him once was. Now, there was only a small scar to mark that it was ever there. He scoffs at the reminder and his muscles tense as he pulls his hand away. "You say we're on equal playing fields, but you have people calling you 'Master'."

The glare he receives is not a friendly one. "That is a title I earned through my work here. And I expect to be addressed as such." Zayden practically snaps. "But for any of The Risens, such as yourself, I'll give you a bit of time to properly adjust before I demand much of anything. You ought to be grateful for the new beginning I've given you." By the end of that sentence, Zayden was growling. Kilgrave's eyes shift to the floor and Zayden takes a moment to breathe, flicking another pen from his fingers as he finally decides to answer the question. "As for the sisters, I suspect they are only acting out against Jessica to get my attention. They must have overheard a conversation between you and I about her and decided to fuck around."

Zayden's focus turns back to his computer as he starts to type something up. "I'll tell you what. This is your first official mission. Apprehend the sisters. Remember, as it states in your contract of employment, if you use your powers to kill _anyone_, your time here will be terminated. So simply send them to speak with me. Bliss hates dealing with children, so they are most likely only be going to Jessica's apartment at night when your son is sleeping. I suggest you return much later today to try and catch them in the act. But like any mission, you are free to complete it however you want." Typing a few notes to himself, he finishes by saying, "I'll type up your first operation contract tonight which will include a deadline and payment that I'll have Shadow deliver to you in the morning. Luckily, we haven't given away your room assignment yet, so you're welcome to continue staying in the Hall."

"Okay." Kilgrave responds bluntly, standing up.

Just as he's about to leave, Zayden adds a needed warning. "Oh, and Kilgrave? Don't let either of them touch you."

Kilgrave nods and starts to exit. He wanted to return to Jessica _now_, but it would be more convenient to try and finish the mission in one swing, before he had his perfect reunion with Jessica… and of course the first time he would meet his son...

On his way out of the office, he hears Zayden, already on the phone. "Cancel my trip to Washington D.C. I have a pressing matter to deal with here."

*****_THE RISEN_*****

The alarm on Jessica's phone woke her up half an hour before Axel needed to be awake. But this time was different.

Not only was her memory of last night gone again, but she woke up at her desk. Fully clothed, her head had fallen against her laptop, now wearing a keyboard indent on her forehead. What had she been doing?

Upon unlocking the computer, she finds that multiple tabs were all open with different articles and research about _her_. As if she had been researching herself for a case or something. What the fuck?

This was getting too strange now. This was a tipping point. If nothing else was convincing enough, this was. She was going to have to set up cameras in here to find out what was happening to her.

* * *

Author's note:

I decided to crank out ch2, knowing that finals are coming up and I'll be swamped the next couple of weeks. And honestly, this chapter raises more questions than it does answers, which is why I love it :)

We've got the introduction of a couple of new OC's, and there are more to come, as we will undoubtedly meet the sisters eventually. It might feel like a bit of an OC overload, but I promise the pay off will be nothing if not entertaining! Luckily, _Lady in rose_ is keeping my head on straight and continuing to help me work out the kinks in our plot line.

Many thanks to everyone who's followed and/or left a review on the last chapter. I am as excited as all of you are! You guys are literally the best audience ever, it _really_ means the world to me! I'd love to hear some more thoughts from you. See you soon!


	3. Trapped in a Loop

_**Chapter Three: Trapped in a Loop**_

*****Five years ago******

"This isn't going well."

Trish needed time too. She wasn't the one who decided to have a kid so she shouldn't be expected to raise one. So, tonight was her night off. She was practically living at Jessica's place now, but she needed to go home and sort some things out in her own life. Trish promised to be back by morning, and one could only hope that she would keep that promise.

Jessica was… unstable.

After returning home from the hospital with Axel a few weeks ago, life wasn't great. It felt to Jessica as though she was losing her mind.

Babies were supposed to cry to show that they needed something, right? Isn't that how this was supposed to fucking work? But Axel cried all. Goddamn. Day. No matter what, it felt like he never stopped. Whether that was reality or simply Jessica's perceived viewing of reality, the toll it was having on her was beginning to show.

She didn't sleep. She rarely ate. And now with Trish gone for the night, she was left with her own devices. If she couldn't deal with him on her own for one night, how the hell was she expected to be a mother for the rest of her life?

As it had been, the apartment was a mess. Axel was put in his crib for a nap about an hour ago in the other room. But the boy didn't sleep. He cried.

Now, Jessica sat in her bedroom with the door closed. Staring at the wall in front of her. There were mere seconds of relief when Axel stopped to breathe. But every time his wailing returned, her muscles would tense again.

"Please. Please." She begins to mutter to herself, her heart rate slowly elevating. She could feel herself starting to lose it. Starting to lose her shit. Like the quiet moment before a tornado. Like the weight of one too many leaves falling on an old branch before it snaps. It was coming. The words mumbled to herself as if knowing about it was going to stop the inevitable.

Her eyes close for a second. Maybe she could try and sleep to prevent the oncoming mental breakdown.

"This isn't going well."

And so, it arrived. As she was begging it not to.

His voice makes her eyes snap back open, and she looks around her room as if she would see him there. Initially, she doesn't.

His voice is clearer than the white noise of Axel crying, however.

"No… no. Not this bullshit again…" Jessica growls and her chin falls to her chest, laying her face in her hands.

He had spoken to her a few times before. Once a couple of months into her pregnancy, and once on the day she gave birth. It seemed like luck that he didn't stick around for long. Today felt different. Like he had intentions to move into her thoughts and take up a permanent residence there.

He snickers a bit to mock her. "Not pleased to see me?"

"No." She growls again and her fists clench as she lifts her head. "Because you're not here…" The reply came as if naturally, but the moment the words left her lips, she realizes her mistake. The fact that he wasn't here made it all the more crazy to respond to him, especially out loud.

Worse yet, now she could see him. As plainly as Trish stood in front of her this morning, Kilgrave leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. "So if I were here, would that make it better?" He grins at her from across the room.

"No." Jessica doesn't hesitate, but the look on her face reflects her lie. "Get out of my head…" She whispers, looking away from where he was supposedly standing, but he only moves with her line of vision.

Her thoughts jump, causing the next thing out of his mouth to change as well. "You look like shit." Kilgrave continues to grin, unfolding his arms so he could slide his hands into the pockets of his suit.

"You look dead." She mutters back, briefly pressing her palms to her eyes to see if it would get him to go away. It doesn't.

"And?" Kilgrave shrugs at her. "Why am I here, Jessica? You clearly haven't moved on. Is this what your idea of what grief is supposed to look like?"

In an obvious routine, she systematically replies, "I never cared about you, so I never grieved over you."

He simply laughs. "How many times have you repeated that lie to yourself? Do you think you'll ever believe it?"

"Go away…" Her tone is raw and almost broken. She couldn't do this again. Cry over him. Not again.

The next time she blinks, he's on the bed next to her. "I'll leave when you're ready for me to go. Clearly, you're not." As smugly as ever, he makes himself comfortable laying down with a pillow below his head. He stays in her line of sight but doesn't say anything for a minute. His head tilts as he listens to Axel sob. "Are you going to get that?" Knowing the answer, he sighs through his nose. "It's fucking annoying." The irritation in his eyes is only a mirror.

Still, Jessica felt the need to defend Axel, even if she wasn't sure why. "_That_ is my son." She snaps at him, and the anger was there but the sincerity wasn't.

Kilgrave smirks again, "You don't seem to like him very much."

Having no refute to that claim, her teeth grind.

"You're a really shitty mother, you know that?"

"Like you would be a better father!" Her voice raises and she can feel the urge to punch something, but she doesn't. Who the fuck was she angry at? She turns her head to look around the truly empty room as her voice seems to bounce off the walls. To anyone else, she would be shouting at no one and nothing. She'd look insane. And there would be no evidence to prove that she wasn't.

"I never said I would be." Kilgrave answers the next time she blinks, standing once again. He's stern in doing so.

Her eyes close, feeling her hands begin to tremble. "I can't… I can't do this."

Kilgrave follows the path of her next thought before she can properly acknowledge it. "You _really_ want to give your son up for adoption? Does Jessica Jones quit that easily?" He cocks his head. It's hard to tell if he's mocking or showing his disappointment in her.

She shakes her head, trying and failing to take a deep breath. "I'm not… I'm not cut out to raise a kid… I'm not -"

"Bullshit!" Kilgrave snaps back, out of the blue, almost causing her to flinch. "And what the fuck do you think you're going to do then? You have _nothing_ but that boy. You throw him away, you're back to square one. A miserable alcoholic, who does nothing but wallow in self-proclaimed pity." Jessica wasn't certain that the real Kilgrave would care this much. But all she had was her perception of him mixed with her own raging thoughts. The emotion coming from him was just self-loathing at the idea. He was towering over her, practically snarling in disgust. "What is that life worth to you?"

"Shut up." She weakly mutters, with little to no force behind it. Arguing with herself was exhausting.

"Pity, Jessica." He repeats the word, angrily, leaning back on the wall. "Because you couldn't look me in the eyes and tell me you loved me before I died right in front of you. Trapped in a goddamn loop of watching me die." He pauses, only to look at her with a bit of his own pity. "You know, I feel like I should be flattered that you're _still _so depressed after losing me."

"I'm… I'm not -"

"Depressed?" He cuts her off, scoffing with pride. "What else would you call this?" Motioning between themselves, he references her appearance and their conversation as a reflection of her state of mind. "Do you think I'm here to comfort you, Jessica? Because I'm not. I'm here to snap you out of it."

Instead of actually continuing to address him, her eyes shift to the floor, thinking on her own. "If only it were that simple…"

To keep himself in her sights, he crouches down and takes a knee in front of her, forcing her to look him in the eyes. "I get it, Jessica." He says, bordering sympathy and sarcasm. "I gave you a purpose. First it was escaping me, then it was stopping me, and then it was changing me. Whether you succeeded in the end or not, you were never going to leave me, were you?"

As if she had no choice but to continue to fight herself, she shakes her head. "I… I could have. Eventually. If I thought you could make it on your own, I could have left you and come back to my life here…"

"_Could_ have." He stresses through clenched teeth. "But you never _would _have." He sighs and reaches out to caress her cheek, but she can't feel his touch. "You would have made up some bullshit justification to stay with me. Convince yourself that I would never be able to function without you. Maybe that's true. But don't pretend 'babysitting' me isn't what you wanted. Don't pretend it isn't what you _lived _for."

"I didn't ask for you to be my goddamn responsibility!" She moves away from his hand as she growls back. "I didn't ask for you to take ownership of my life! I didn't -"

"Maybe not!" His volume matches hers as he throws his hand in the air. "But you were as addicted to containing me as I was addicted to loving you."

Jessica opens her mouth but hesitates, trying to think of anything to say that wasn't a blatant lie.

That hesitation leaves enough space for him to add. "Like I said. I gave you _purpose_." He hisses and rises to his feet, making her to look up. "We were _perfectly_ matched, you and I. Locked in this beautiful dance. Between trying to kill each other and falling in love, we could have… we _would have_ spent a lifetime together. And you know what?" Kilgrave pauses, more for dramatic effect than anything. "We would've been happy."

Not giving up that easily, she retaliates. "I was never happy with you…"

"You were at _peace_." He snaps before rolling his eyes. "When it comes to you, it doesn't get much better than that."

Both of them say nothing for a minute, as Jessica absorbs her own thoughts being shouted at her. Her original train of thought had been derailed, but Kilgrave is sure to get them on track again with what he says next.

"So, what does this have to do with your son? I'm not sure you've acknowledged yet that there was nothing you could do to stop me from dying. And now that you've given life to another human being, all you see when you look at him -"

"Is the life I couldn't save." She finishes for him, the sound of her heart in her ears starting to drown out the crying.

Kilgrave scowls as if that was a pathetic sentiment. "So you hate him for it?!"

"I don't hate him!" Yelling back, her voice wavers, bouncing off the walls once more.

"Could've fooled me." He responds coldly, crossing his arms again. "Do you honestly think you'd be better off without him? What else would you be doing but dragging your sorry-ass around? If you can look _yourself_ in the eyes and say you would get your shit together, then by all means. Give your son away."

Jessica shakes her head and blinks down at the ground. "Not me. Him… _He'd_ be better off without _me_. You said it yourself… I'm a shitty mother."

"You think he'd be better in the adoption system? As two fucked up people who grew up without their real parents, do you really think that's true?" He scowls at her. "Come on, Jessica. Stop with the bloody excuses."

Knowing there was no argument left to be had, he stands across from her silently as she tries to screw her head on straight. Putting Axel up for adoption was never a serious consideration, but she did think about it. It was plausible. Almost practical even, for the state she was in. But the illusion of Kilgrave was right. She shouldn't be one to quit so easily. Not after everything she had been through. The death of her family, the shit Kilgrave put her though and _his_ death were proof of her resilience.

The sound of Axel crying moves out of the background noise and becomes much more prevalent in the front of her mind. If she was going to do this, she had to at least put in some sort of effort.

"Right…" Jessica mumbles to herself and slowly stands up. When her eyes scan the room, Kilgrave is gone again. As a result, she lets out a sigh, but she wasn't sure if it was disappointment or relief.

Dragging her feet, she trails her way to Axel's nursery and finds him flailing in his crib. Noticing her entrance, he stops and snivels for a second, his bright red face peering up at her with discontent eyes. The pause doesn't last long though before the tear-less wailing returns and his tiny hands ball into fists, pushing away his blanket.

"Okay… okay, okay." Keeping her eye roll to herself, she carefully leans down and picks him up. With the volume of his cries so close, she grimaces. "Jesus, fuck…" She whispers under her breath and cradles him in her arms. He fit there naturally, but the connection still felt forced. Either way, she instinctively rocks him back and forth to a rhythm of her own.

His diaper wasn't full so she was about to see if he was hungry again. But before she gets the chance, he already begins to quiet down. It was gradual, but eventually, he became contently silent and his tired expression briefly smiles at her.

"Bloody hell, he really does look like me."

Kilgrave was standing over her shoulder now, and this time his appearance isn't startling. It's more expected than anything.

"Yeah, well…" Axel's quietness for the first time in what felt like forever was enough to mellow out Jessica's emotions and she doesn't curse at the dead guy in her head.

Kilgrave stays behind her, watching this interaction for a few moments before making himself comfortable in a chair across from her. She stays standing as she bounces Axel gently, seeing that his eyes had closed and he might actually fall asleep.

"What will you tell him about his father? About me?" The question Kilgrave asks is one that Jessica had thought a lot about during her pregnancy. His tone in her head is quite serious. Back to taunting when he says, "You know, assuming that you don't give him away."

Leveling her voice to a whisper, she responds, ignoring his mockery, "When he's old enough, I'll tell him the truth; his father saved hundreds of people. He died a hero."

"And the details? What about that, Jessica? Certainly, you can't cut all that out of the picture."

"I can. And I will." Her volume doesn't change but the sharpness of her voice does.

"You can't keep the whole truth to yourself forever." He simply states, much calmer discussing this than the real Kilgrave would be.

Axel murmurs a few words a gibberish. It's not enough to make Jessica smile, but it's enough to give her a bit of peace of mind. "Keeping secrets is my job."

* * *

Author's note:

I was going to include a present moment but decided to just expand this one scene because the introspection is so fulfilling and somewhat needed.

JJ: "I was never happy with you…"

KK: "You were at _peace_. When it comes to you, it doesn't get much better than that."

... I love those lines because they're true.

The last season of JJ comes out a week from today, which will conclude the Marvel-Netflix universe, as everything, including this, has already been canceled. I'm extremely sad to see it go. It's been a pleasure being a fan of the show, and goddamn if I'm not excited for this conclusion. It's bound to be epic.

Thanks again to the people who choose to support and review. It might take time for me to produce chapters, but I haven't quit, thanks to you guys!


	4. Pink Haze

_**Chapter Four: Pink Haze**_

(Still) Day 1:

There were two cameras that Jessica had set up in her apartment to prepare for her blackouts. It could occur again tonight or in a couple of days, but either way, she was going to be ready. One was on the shelf next to her desk looking down and one was on her dresser in the bedroom. Both of them were somewhat covered by booze or clothes to be the slightest bit hidden. If it was someone else that was messing with her, surely they didn't want it to be recorded.

Night had fallen once again and Trish was just on the way out. Jessica continued to neglect to tell her about what was happening. She needed to understand it herself first.

It was a Friday night and Axel had convinced his mother to let him stay up later than normal since the weekend had arrived. She was reluctant to agree, but anxious enough about tonight to allow him more time to watch TV. It was about ten o'clock when she finally forces him to get in bed.

Axel, in his dinosaur pajamas, frowns as his mother tucks him in.

"Goodnight, kid." She leans in to kiss him on the forehead but he squirms away from her.

"Can you tells me a story?" He was already yawning, but still peers at her with some form of hope.

Jessica can't stop her eyes from rolling, though it wasn't anything Axel was surprised to see. "It's too late for storytime. You should've thought of that before you watched your fifth episode of Paw Patrol."

"Please ~" He whines and pouts at her, very similar to the way Kilgrave used to.

It's a subconscious thought, but the unacknowledged resemblance makes her smile. "Fine. What do you wanna hear?" Sitting on the edge of the bed, she reaches over to the bookshelf of children's stories, waiting for him to make a selection.

Shyly, he shakes his head at her. "No, not books. I wants to hear about Daddy."

Jessica freezes. Very slowly, she sits up straight and looks increasingly serious. Her change in demeanor goes unnoticed. "Why?"

He shrugs at first, but is quick to answer. "This boy in my class, his name's Tim. Tim said his dad is a hero 'cause he's a firefighter. So… so I saids my dad is a hero too and my dad saved like a million people. And so then Tim told this cool story about his dad going into buildings on fire and stuff. But I didn't have a story so Tim and the other boys don't believe me… So, so on Monday, I wants to tell them all the cool stuff my dad did too."

Jessica's heart sinks and she tries her best not to let it show on her face. Instead, she forces a smile, which ultimately appears sad. "I told you, kid. You can hear more about Daddy when you're older, okay? For now, I don't think you should be talking about him at school…"

"Why?" His head flops to the side as he asks a child's favorite question.

"Because I… I think you should know the whole story before you talk about him."

"Why can't I hear now?" Axel continues to press, still not getting it.

She sighs through her nose and has to look away from his eyes to answer. "You're too young to understand right now."

This time he frowns, but accepts her response. It's hard to miss the disappointment on his face. "Okay." Pulling at his fingers over his blanket, he pauses before somberly muttering, "Do you think he wants to meet me?"

Jessica bites her tongue as she looks down at him, her stomach beginning to turn with guilt. The truth was, she hadn't told him his father was dead. Did kids his age even fully understand death and it's irreversibility? She couldn't bring herself to find out the first time they had this conversation. Instead, she simply told Axel that his father wasn't around for the time being. Her exact words in the moment were; 'He had to go away before you were born'. When asked where he had gone, she answered; 'Just… away'. And when asked when he'd be back, she answered; 'Not for a long time…'

Now, challenged to look her son in the eyes, she takes a breath before saying softly, "I'm sure he would love to meet you."

Axel gradually smiles back at her, nodding, "I'd love to meet him too." Content with this short conversation, he sleepily stretches out his legs and curls up closer to his pillow. With each blink, it takes longer for his eyes to open again.

Jessica sighs again and kisses his forehead without protest this time. "Goodnight. I love you. Always have,"

"Always will. Goodnight, Mommy." He mutters, already half asleep.

Quietly, she exits his room, turning off the lights and closing the door on her way out. She immediately finds her way to some booze.

*****_PINK HAZE_*****

Outside Jessica's door, two women who appeared to be strangers, sat waiting. One indifferent, one increasingly impatient.

It was about the same time they normally arrived, but today the little runt was up later than usual. It would be more inconvenient than anything to have to deal with being interrupted by a child. Nothing they couldn't handle, just… annoying.

"Can we go inside yet?" The first asks, her voice only half the volume of a whisper.

Knowing she couldn't whisper quite as quietly, the second just shakes her head and mouths the words 'Not yet'.

The first, was Aura. The twenty-year-old was only five feet tall and her size matched her personality. Like that of a mouse, she was beyond timid and mostly kept to herself unless told to do otherwise. Her light pink hair was extremely short and cut in a boy-ish fashion, obviously dyed some time ago from the fact that her blonde roots were coming in. Her brown eyes were often wide and reflected the perpetual state of concern and unease she was trapped in. With her arms around her knees, sitting on the floor, she wore a pair of gray sweatpants and a hoodie with the image of a cartoon cat on it. Her petite hands were covered by silk white gloves, like those that belonged with an evening gown. Just below her left ear, there was a small black curved teardrop shape that was neither a birthmark nor a tattoo. As usual, she had one bluetooth headphone in her right ear, mostly listening to the works of _Panic! At the Disco_.

The second, her older sister, Bliss, couldn't be more different. Seven years older and slightly less pale than Aura, Bliss stood at five feet, seven inches. Her hot pink flowing hair came down to her lower back and her bangs just covered her finely trimmed eyebrows. Her brown eyes were often more concentrated, though not always as serious as they appeared now. She wore tight leather pants and a simple black sports bra with a light jacket thrown on over it, still unzipped to show off her flat stomach. A new brand of scarlet lipstick perfectly stained her lips. It was something different she had just recently decided she liked, as reinventing herself after break-ups was basically a habit. Her height misled by the fact that she was wearing combat boots with a considerable heel on them. Like her sister, she also wore gloves, but her's were black leather. And identical to her sister's, she had the teardrop shape below her ear. The extrovert of the two, she was much bolder and tended to be comfortable walking into a room of strangers.

Standing outside the frame of Jessica's door, Bliss leans against the wall with her arms crossed. Waiting wasn't something she was ever good at. Aura, however, just pulls out her phone and silently begins to play a game. It wasn't an activity she enjoyed, but it gave her something to concentrate on.

They stay there only fifteen minutes after they heard the TV switch off of the child's show. Bliss knew full and well that they should wait at least half an hour after the boy was put to bed before entering, but she didn't want to stand around any longer. Besides, her feet were starting to hurt.

Gently, she kicks her sister's sneaker and nods, speaking in her normal tone. "Let's go." As Aura starts to stand up, she knocks.

Jessica is pretty slow to open the door as she usually is. When she sees the two of them, her eyebrows raise and she keeps the door mostly shut. "Do you need something?" She asks, sounding rather suspicious of them. It was to be expected since she was on such high alert from the past few weeks of strange activity.

It was the same question they usually got asked, along with 'Who are you?' and 'What do you want?'

The same thing happened every night they came. Aura hesitated.

Before taking off her glove, Aura peers up at her sister with uncertainty, letting the inner conflict show on her face. But the silent look she receives causes her to pull her right glove off anyway. With speed to ensure that Jessica didn't react, she reaches forward and lightly taps her middle finger to the center of Jessica's forehead.

Her power was quick and painless, but the shock of it sends Jessica stumbling backwards a bit. The sisters take that opportunity to enter the apartment, closing and locking the door behind them.

Aura quickly puts her glove back on at the same time that Bliss is taking one of hers off.

"Hi, Jessica." Bliss says calmly, as her sister's effect settles in.

"Hi." She responds, mildly confused and unsure why. She should know these people if they were in her place, right? What she was experiencing didn't really _erase_ her memories, it just _hid_ them, per-say. So while they weren't accessible for her to recall, and she wouldn't remember any of this (including a few minutes ago), it hadn't messed with who she was at all. If left alone now, she would most likely go back to drinking and quietly shove off to bed the same way she always had. It was Bliss' job to change that.

Knowing how this was going to go, Aura keeps her eyes down and finds the other earbud in her pocket, sticking it in her ear. Turning the volume of her music up, she shuffles away from them in the middle of the room and sits down on the sofa. She brings her legs up with her and lays against the armrest with her back to them. Although the moral questionability of what her and her sister were doing still floated around in her head, she just pulls out her phone and goes back to playing her game in silence.

While Aura's power was an instant touch, Bliss' took a little more time. With her now naked right hand, she briefly closes her eyes and concentrates on bringing her ability forward. Gradually, a pink mist begins to emit and rise from her palm. The thickness of its color increases with time and it starts to swirl around her hand like dancing fog.

With nearly all men, it didn't take much for Bliss' ability to work, but women and especially a powered woman like Jessica, it took more effort and energy.

Though she had to wait for it to build, it was still incredibly fast, after years of practice. There isn't much time for Jessica to react or question what was going on. When the density of the fog is to Bliss' liking, she reaches forward and grabs Jessica's hand with her own. The pink haze is absorbed into Jessica's skin with a gentle shudder. Her eyes dilate instantly and she blinks rapidly before taking a shallow breath.

While Aura's effect had a set limit of about three hours, Bliss' depended on the amount of power she put into it. The result is constantly decreasing until the person affected is back to normal. With anyone else, Bliss wouldn't bother making anything strong last more than an hour, but with Jessica, she aimed between two and four hours.

One that experienced it would likely describe it as being high on ecstasy times a hundred. It was excitement and euphoria and pure _pleasure_ which is often translated into one expression.

Seeing that look in Jessica's eyes causes Bliss to smile softly as she repeats, "Hi, Jessica."

"Hi." Jessica repeats back, though there is a significant drop in her tone which is obviously now sensual.

"How are you?" Bliss asks, only to taunt. Her hand slips from hers and she carefully walks around her to sit on the edge of her desk.

Jessica spins around and keeps her eyes locked with hers. "I'm… I'm umm…" Her heart was racing so fast she thought it might explode as she steps closer to Bliss. The pent up energy that had nowhere else to go causes her to start trembling.

"Relax." Bliss mutters and reaches out to stroke her cheek. "You'll feel panicked for a second, but it'll subside." She says reassuringly, knowing the effects of her abilities well. Seeing Jessica's shallow breaths, she smiles. "Breathe."

The light touch of her hand makes Jessica lean forward, wiping away the traces of uncertainty. There was no room in her mind for confusion or any other emotion really. Her breathing manages to level as the gap between them closes.

"There you go." Lulling her, Bliss tilts her head to one side and tenderly kisses her on the lips, cupping her cheeks with both hands.

The fact that Jessica was never attracted to women was quite irrelevant. It could have been pretty much anyone sitting in front of her, and she still would have kissed back. That euphoric sense, ultimately overriding her identity.

Though Bliss initiated the contact, Jessica is the one who moves quickly, pushing Bliss' jacket off and stepping between her legs. The kiss she reciprocates with is hard and dominating, reflecting the way she was in bed.

Dropping her jacket to the floor, Bliss pulls back slightly and forces Jessica to take a beat. While going at it with and her magnificent strength was always fun, it had also been a long day. She wouldn't mind something a little more tender, as it was rather rare for her. "Slow down, okay?" She pants slightly and continues to smile. "We have time."

She manages a nod but stares back at her hungrily. "Okay…" It was quite impossible to resist sexual temptation, as the feeling Bliss had given her had nowhere else to go.

*****_PINK HAZE_*****

When Kilgrave showed up this time, he didn't bother knocking. Instead, he uses the master key that he acquired after a short interaction with the superintendent.

What he finds inside after opening the door is… startling.

Though he was aware of what the powered people in the room were capable of, he wasn't expecting this. Maybe he should have seen it coming, and just didn't want to imagine it?

Jessica was laying on her back on the desk that had been wiped clear, her eyes closed. While her shirt and bra were on the floor, her underwear and pants were pulled down to mid-thigh. The girl who could only be Bliss, had kept her sports bra and underwear on but lost her shoes and pants which were in a mess on the floor as well. Kneeling in front of the desk, Bliss had her hands on Jessica's hips, trying to hold her still as her head rocks between her legs.

It was a position Kilgrave was familiar with. Walking in on Jessica having sex with another _human being_ was enough to enrage him, nevermind the fact that it was another woman. But knowing the power that Bliss possessed, and also knowing Jessica's sexuality, he was fucking _livid_.

Facing the door and watching it open, Aura frantically removes her headphones and her overall scared expression intensifies. "Bliss?" She says, barely loud enough for her sister to hear, her eyes locked on Kilgrave's furious gaze.

Zoned in on the beautiful sound of Jessica's moaning, Bliss was unaware that they were no longer alone. This would have been the first time that Aura had ever interrupted them.

Reluctantly, Bliss moves her head away and turns, expecting to glare at her sister. "What?!" She snaps before realizing the situation she was in.

If Bliss was certain that this day _wouldn't _come, she wouldn't have been there in the first place. But it felt much too soon. He was here _already_? Her stomach drops as she looks at him and the worry starts to settle in.

The pause in action causes Jessica's eyes to open and she looks at the third stranger in the room. His presence isn't at all startling to her. In fact, she wouldn't mind if he joined them. Sitting up, she smiles at him from across the room, a little breathless. Some time had passed so she wasn't nearly as jittery as before, but there was still a lasting feeling of desire and satisfaction. "Hey…" She says lightly, clearly unable to sense the tension.

Everyone else in the room ignores her.

"Stand. Up." Kilgrave growls through clenched teeth, pushing the door shut with a thud.

Both Aura and Bliss do as they're told. Not uncomfortable without clothes on, Bliss doesn't try to cover up. Her first thought is actually about protecting Aura, so she takes a stance slightly in front of her.

It was hard not to be shaken by this, but Bliss still knew what she was doing and held a small amount of confidence. "You must be Kilgrave." She says after taking a breath and licking the taste of Jessica off her lips.

"You must be Bliss." He basically spits her name out, the veins in his neck starting to throb.

Since her gloves were already off, she puts both her hands behind her back and pretends to clasp them together and stand at attention. Instead, she starts to charge her powers in one hand and attempts to take a step closer to him. "I'm sure this looks bad. But it's really not what you think -"

"Stop moving." He snaps, seeing through her bullshit with ease.

Being caught, she bites her tongue and freezes in position, unable to advance on him anymore.

"Give me _one_ fucking reason why I shouldn't have the two of you jump from the top of this building." This command is delivered with extreme seriousness.

Providing a genuine answer, she mumbles, "Because you're working for him, right? It's in the contract that you can't kill anyone."

It's apparent that he's annoyed by the reminder, because in the moment, it felt right to let them die.

Aura stays silent with her eyes fixed to the floor, not daring to try the same thing her sister had.

Jessica finally starts to feel confused, but it's not enough to upset her. With no top on and her pants down, she doesn't bother to cover up either. She also refrains from saying anything else, as it didn't really seem like it was her business or concern. It felt kind of like she was high and just watching a soap opera unfold in her apartment.

There's enough of a verbal gap from Kilgrave to let Bliss try to get a word in. "We're just like you, you know." Since she couldn't point, she has to describe it. "That mark on your neck? It means he did the same to you as he did to us." What she was referring to was, of course, the teardrop shape under his ear, that was identical to the ones the sisters had. "Look… I'm not just here banging your girlfriend." Bliss manages to laugh, sounding nervous, hoping what she was saying would reach him. "I'm trying to look out for her. Mas-" She stops herself from calling him 'Master' out of habit, scowling at herself. "... Zayden hasn't been honest with you. He's -"

"Shut up." Virtually nothing she had said was getting through to him. He was still hung up on the fact that she had been taking advantage of Jessica this whole time.

Unable to move or speak, the lack of control finally settles in and reveals the fear in her eyes.

Moving closer so that he stands directly in front of her, he snarls in a low tone. "If you _ever_ come near Jessica again, I will _make you regret it_." Recognizing Bliss' protectiveness of her sister, he adds, "_Both_ of you. I don't have to kill you to do that."

As if Bliss wasn't already scared enough.

Able to remember what he was supposed to do with them, he concludes, "When you leave here, go straight to Zayden's office. Now get your shit, and get out."

Frantically, Bliss grabs the remainder of her clothes off the floor, then her sister's hand before flying out the door.

When it's just Kilgrave and Jessica, he allows his intense anger to subside as he looks at her.

Having _literally _no grasp of the situation, Jessica doesn't hide her smile.

Shit. It was going to be hard to get through this while she looked like that. Naked, really. And so goddamn happy about.

Before he does anything, he makes sure he keeps his distance from her. "Are you okay?" He asks rather solemnly, trying insanely hard to keep eye contact with her.

"Why wouldn't I be?" She shrugs, swinging her legs back and forth like a restless child. "Who are you? Why'd you make them leave?" Whatever the answer to those questions were probably wouldn't change her mood.

"Bloody hell…" He mutters to himself, briefly pinching the bridge of his nose. He shouldn't be around her right now. Before he does something regrettable. They could have a proper reunion like he planned in the morning now that he had dealt with the sisters. "I should go…" His voice is hushed but loud enough for her to hear, as he quickly turns to leave.

This causes her to frown. "Wait!" She calls after him and leaps off the desk to chase him. She stumbles over her own pants but reaches him fast enough to grab him by the hand. "Where are you going?"

Feeling her hand in his, he sighs and turns to face her. Rather than pulling away like he knew he should have, he looks down at her, practically pulling at his heart. Refraining from cursing to himself, he slowly bends down and takes the edges of her jeans and panties, pulling them all the way up for her. As he buttons her jeans, he swallows hard and observes the lipstick smeared over her lips that trailed down her neck and made it to the tops of her breasts.

There's a surge of anger that comes back to him seeing this. It drains from his eyes the next time she speaks.

"Do we know each other?" She asks, her voice considerably softer. "I feel like I know you…" Quieting to a whisper, she leans up to meet his lips which were already so close to hers.

"Jessica…" He mutters, but just as he feels her breath on his skin, he turns his head with a look of pain in his eyes. His fists clench with the realization of how hard doing the right thing was. "I can't do this with you while you're like this…"

"While I'm like what?" Seeing the obvious reflection of longing in his eyes, she paws at his suit jacket and clings to him with a smile.

"While you're not yourself." Gently pulling her hands away, he sighs once more. Seeing the stains of someone else's lips on her skin was burning him alive. They were small enough that they would likely have rubbed off by morning, but he wouldn't take his chances. "Come here." Keeping one of her hands, he leads her to the bathroom and she follows complacently.

Behind the door, she hops up on the sink and spreads her legs as if naturally. She really wasn't ready to give this up. "Now _you_ come _here_." Using her strength this time, she jerks him closer by his belt loop.

Completely rejecting her wasn't working, so he tries to ignore her instead. Reaching around her, he grabs a towel off one of the hooks on the wall and wets a piece of it in the sink. With a steady hand, he takes the corner of the towel and wipes the lipstick from her mouth. When he's done there, he trails the wet cloth down the side of her neck and works his way to the tops of her breasts to remove the smudges that she didn't care to notice.

Her breathing catches and she stifles a whimper, biting down on her lower lip. That sound makes him pause and his grip of the towel tightens. Her hips slide to the edge of the countertop and ever so slightly shift against his, keeping her hold on his pants. The friction was so light that it was agonizing.

"Stop." He whispers, removing the last of the lipstick that he could see. Trying to take a step away from her, he finds that her strength prevents him from doing so.

"Why are you fighting this?" Despite his efforts, his face gave everything away. "You want me." She purrs with a grin.

"Of course I do." Kilgrave growls, now just frustrated by her ability to remain stubborn.

"Then why do you hesitate?" He was most definitely attractive and if he was going to scare away her other fuck, then he should at least be willing to replace her.

Since he couldn't back up, he just avoids looking her in the eyes. "I just… _can't_." His muscles tense again, beginning to question what he had gotten himself into.

"Am I not good enough for you?" She whispers this time and pretends to pout. Leaning forward, she quietly kisses the base of his neck and listens closely to the change in pace of his breathing. Reaching out with her free hand, she takes his and guides it up her stomach to cradle her naked breast.

Through his manages to pull his hand away, he can't escape the touch of her lips on his skin. "Stop…" He says again, but this time it sounds a lot like begging. Weak, unhinged, almost _pathetic_ begging.

She doesn't stop completely and smiles a little. Even as it wasn't possible for her to recall her memories, she still recognized this experience before. A man trying to control his lust. There was one good explanation for this. His frustration meant nothing to her without context, however. Her lips drag against his skin as she genuinely asks, "Are you in a relationship or something?"

Figuring that was a good enough excuse, he carefully nods, thankful that at least she wasn't moving her hips anymore. "Yes…"

"I see." She slides back to be able to look him in the eyes. No matter what state she was in, she had a knack for detecting people's bullshit if they were lying. "And this other person, do you love them?"

Feeling that he was answering honestly, he nods again. "Yes." The woman sat in front of him wasn't _really_ Jessica. Not in his eyes. As gorgeous as ever, but it didn't feel right if her behavior was this altered. What worried him was that he was going to ruin it by having her now, the way she is. That after six years of being apart, their first kiss and their first time making love again would be hollow and meaningless as she wouldn't even be able to remember it the next day. He couldn't let that happen. He wanted it to be perfect.

Jessica pauses for a second before shrugging and softly pushing him away. She wasn't going to force it on him, but she also wasn't going to let it sour her mood. As if nothing happened, she hops off the sink. "Okay."

"Okay?" His eyebrow raises as he tries to shake off what just happened as easily as she had. "That's it?"

"Yeah." She continues to smile, unbothered. "I respect that. Love, I mean." There's a split second of what almost looked like recognition in her eyes as she mumbles to him, "I think I used to be in love once too…" That moment flees as quickly as it came. Opening the bathroom door, she starts to usher him out. "Just give me a second." Providing an explanation where one wasn't needed, she adds, "I never did get my orgasm, so just wait out there. Don't go anywhere though, okay mister?"

She gets no answer before the door is closed behind Kilgrave being pushed out.

His eyes widen in a bit of shock. Did she just admit to being in love with him before? Surely, she could have been referring to someone else, and with her memory the way that it is, there was really no trusting anything that came out of her mouth. But to Kilgrave, it sounded like him. It sounded like the first time she admitted it to him…

Then there was some information there that he didn't really want to process. Honestly, he should leave now and save himself some trouble. What else would she demand of him if he stayed here tonight?

But looking at the door, he can't bring himself to do it like he planned before she grabbed his hand.

Alternatively, he trails into the main room and picks her shirt up off the ground, making his way to hang it on the bathroom doorknob for her. He does so with speed, because staying close to the door and hearing her masturbate was not going to be great for the erection he already had.

He could either accept that he was staying the night or constantly battle himself over it. Choosing the former, he takes his shoes off and invites himself into her bedroom. His jacket, tie and shirt and next to go, along with his belt. However, his trousers stay on. He wasn't sure that Jessica's horny state would pass so easily, so an extra layer of clothing between her and his genitals was appreciated.

Laying on his back, he patiently awaits her return, trying not to visualize what she was doing to herself. In its place, he thinks about her possible admission of love, and if he could get her to repeat it later on. He also thinks about how it'll be a fun surprise to have Jessica wake up in bed next to him.

Several minutes pass before Jessica finds her way back to him. Looking into the bedroom, a relieved smile comes across her face. "You didn't leave." Now wearing a shirt, she trots over to the bed after closing the door.

Kilgrave shrugs, smirking a little. "I don't have anywhere else to be."

Removing her jeans and leaving her underwear on, she flops down on the bed next to him and shows the bare minimum amount of restraint by not touching his shirtless chest right way. "Is the person you're in a relationship with going to be okay with the fact that you're sleeping with me?" Her eyes are innocent, but devious at the same time.

He can't help but smile. Bloody fucking hell, she was beautiful. "We're not sleeping together, we're sharing a bed. It's fine."

"If you say so." Grinning, she immediately curls up against his chest and brings her leg over one of his, pressing herself against him.

Reaching over, he switches off the lamp and allows himself to run his fingers through her hair. She hums and he closes his eyes.

"Say, mister. Are you going to tell me what today was about in the morning?"

By her tone, he could tell that whatever his answer was, it wouldn't really matter to her now, or in reality, seeing as she wasn't going to remember any of this. "Sure." He responds quietly, inhaling the smell of her.

Tomorrow couldn't come soon enough.

* * *

Author's note:

I wrote this all in 12 hours then edited later, Jesus.

I don't think I intended for the ending with Jessica being horny to be so long, but it ended up better this way I think! I'll stop apologizing for the excessive chapter lengths because you guys seem to like it.

Yes, I've finished season three. I'm aware that most of you haven't, so... we'll talk later.

Thank you for the feedback guys :) I really am lucky to have such a great audience like all of you. Hopefully, I'll see ya soon!


	5. Surprise!

_**Chapter Five: Surprise! **_

Day 2:

Having Kilgrave work for Zayden was turning out rather pleasantly already. His methods were so quick and efficient.

Zayden was well aware of the exact time that the sisters had arrived at his office last night. But he had security hold them there overnight until he got in at his normal time this morning. In doing this, he hoped to give the impression that their interference was not going to take authority over his schedule.

He makes his way up to his office on his own where one guard was silently standing in front of the glass door. Neither of them say anything, but the guard immediately steps to the side to let Zayden in.

Aura had curled up in a tight ball on one of his chairs and Bliss was laying on the ground, using her jacket as a pillow. They appeared to have fallen asleep because the sound of the door opening startles them up.

Aura is quick to look away, avoiding his eyes at all cost. But Zayden wasn't looking at her anyway. Both he and Bliss lock gazes instantly.

Bliss slowly sits up and tightens the velcro on her gloves. Since her jacket was on the floor, she only had her sports bra as a top, but again, she doesn't cover up.

Without breaking eye contact with her, Zayden stretches his arm out to the side and snaps his fingers at the door. He didn't familiarize himself with most of his staffs' names, so this was the only way to get the guard's attention.

"Yes, sir?" The guard asks after opening the door to lean his head in, used to this type of treatment from his boss.

"Take Aura to an empty room in the Hall and watch her. I'll call you."

The guard nods and steps inside, reaching his hand out to Aura. "This way, Miss."

Carefully standing up, Aura looks towards her sister, finally getting Bliss to break eye contact with Zayden. Aura says nothing, but her expression is a cry for help. Being split up from her sister at a time like this was almost like a form of torture.

"It's okay." Bliss says quietly, feeling the panic in her sister's eyes. "I won't be far, I promise."

Despite that promise, scared tears form in Aura's eyes as she takes the guard's hand and he gently ushers her out.

"Shit." Bliss mutters as she watches her leave, feeling the waves of guilt start to drown her.

"She'll be fine without you for awhile." Zayden says back unapologetically. Their eyes find each other again. He says nothing else for a moment that follows.

Standing up all the way, Bliss stretches her stiff limbs and sits down in the seat Aura was in previously. Crossing her arms, she refuses to speak first. He was expecting an apology or an explanation that she wasn't willing to give.

Seeing this, Zayden sighs and walks in front of her, leaning against the edge of his glass desk. "We have a lot to discuss, Bliss."

The familiar way he says her name causes her stomach to tighten. She still attempts to hold her ground, however. "I don't have to talk about anything with you, Master Zayden." She uses the same tactic as him, saying his name and title the way he had heard it from her, many times before.

He scoffs at her, his eyes darkening as he gives a calculated but carnal response, "Oh fuck you, still calling me 'Master', like it doesn't turn you on just to say it."

Being called out so blatantly within the first two minutes of interacting with him again, her cheeks flood red and she can feel herself clenching her muscles. There's a noticeable pulse between her legs as she presses them together tighter and looks away from him, yielding for the first time.

His eyes scan her body and read the language of her posture, clearly frustrated by her, for more than one reason. Just to let her squirm for another minute, he pauses to let the effect of what he said last settle in. This is done to establish his dominance over the conversation. When he kills the silence, he speaks slowly, "I didn't think you had the nerve to turn your back on me the way you did."

The fact that her cheeks were still colored makes it hard to look up at him. "I'd be an idiot to stand by you after everything you've…" Her sentence trails off as she remembers the disgust she was supposed to be feeling towards him. "Aura and I needed to get far away from you… You're toxic."

Now, Zayden flouts, denying none of it, but countering by saying, "_Far_ away, huh? Yet here you are, still in the city, fucking around with Jessica." Picking up a pen from behind him, he starts twirling it in his hand. "What were you thinking?"

"I was going to warn her." Bliss tries to say confidently, but can't seem to. "Or… Kilgrave. I tried to…"

"But you didn't, did you?" Seeing the clear sense of failure in her eyes, he smirks. "Oh, you are loyal to a fault." When he flicks the pen across the room, it flies by her chair and she flinches.

Bliss tries to bring her anger forward again, concentrating on the knowledge that made her grab Aura and run from him in the first place. "I'll never be loyal to a piece of shit like you ever again."

"But you _are_ loyal to me." He growls, close to getting ready to throw something else. A couple of employees walk past his door, talking amongst themselves, forcing him to tame his temper. He pauses and waits until they're out of range to go on, bringing his volume down. "Honestly, you were only there to get my attention. You pack your shit and leave in the middle of the night without a word, and then you start to miss it, right? Me? _This_?" He motions between them, rolling his eyes as if she were pathetic.

Trying to keep him out of her thoughts, she vigorously shakes her head. "I didn't miss you for a second… I don't miss you."

"Liar!" Zayden snaps, slamming his fist down on the table behind him, making her flinch again. His gaze begins to burn through her and he quickly sneers in her direction. "I was never going to come after you, Bliss. You knew that. You knew that I wasn't going to chase you down and beg for your fucking forgiveness. And you _hated_ that. The thought that I was going to move on with or without you made you sick. So you fucking taunt me by getting in my way."

Whether is was the truth or just his anger, Bliss sat across from him, trying not to tremble. "You're wrong." Her voice begins to shrink along with her posture. "I didn't want you to have the opportunity to hurt someone else like you hurt us…"

Her inability to confess what he was confident was true was clearly getting to him. "You couldn't give _less_ of a shit about them. Admit it." He growls, demanding that she obey. "This is about me and you."

Her own breathing constricts as she gathers the courage to continue to go against him. Risking everything to tease him, she mutters, "You're right. I wasn't there to warn them… Jessica just gives better head than you."

Her defiance makes his skin hot. Zayden was rarely a jealous man when it came to relationships, but hearing her undermine his masculinity seems to strike a cord. Stepping away, he walks around to the other side of the desk to put some distance between them as if he were worried he might hit her. When he turns to face her again, he's strikingly serious. "If you test me, you will lose."

Taking swings at his sexual performance was probably a mistake. But now, looking at him, all she felt was sadness for the naive girl she used to be. "I used to…" She starts, whispering, her eyes turning to the floor. "I used to worship you. I loved you…"

While she's not looking at him, he gets an idea. Hearing that she was in love with him came as no shock, but her affection for him could be used against her.

After a beat, he sighs through his nose, letting his softer side show. "And I loved you too…" He mutters back. To a trained eye, that lie would have been easily detectable, but to someone who was hoping to hear it, it was rather convincing.

Bliss' eyes glisten as she looks up at him. "What?" She breathes, her heart thumping in her ears.

"I loved you." He repeats with ease, laying his palms flat on the desk's surface. "But then you left without a word? Do you know what that felt like?"

Guilt starts to swarm her again, despite efforts to convince herself that she was in the right. "I… I found out what you did. I couldn't stay with you knowing that…" Shaking her head, she fights off her clouded vision. "Why did you do it? They didn't deserve…" Unable to bring herself to say it, she drops the sentence.

Zayden sighs again. "I saved you and your sister. Helen and Wyatt would have wanted it this way, if they could -"

"Don't." Her voice is sharp but fragile. "Don't say their names."

"I didn't tell you because I knew you'd never be able to move on if I did. I didn't tell you because I care about you." Slowly, to show his lack of hostility, he walks back to stand in front of her again.

She says nothing as she tries to absorb this explanation, so he shifts directions.

"I know what you're trying to do, Bliss. But my business with Jessica and Kilgrave is none of your concern." His slowed speech is condescending but she doesn't seem to notice. "If you get in my way, you're going to get hurt." When she doesn't look at him, he sinks down to his knees in front of her and forces her to. "I don't want that, okay?"

Admittedly a little hypnotized by his closeness, she starts to nod. "Okay, Zayden."

"That's 'Master' to you." His voice is strict but he smiles anyway, reaching out to caress her cheek with the back of his knuckles.

"Master Zayden…" She whispers, panting before he actually kisses her.

When their lips touch, they both start to stand up, falling to a rhythm of their past. Zayden grabs a handful of her hair and pulls it back to make her whimper, attacking her mouth with authority. Bliss weakly reaches for his jacket, lost in the idea of him.

Refraining from slamming her against the glass wall, he pulls back to ensure he leaves her wanting more. Keeping a hold on her hair, he stops her from leaning forward, as it was clear she was eager.

Having the obvious upper hand, he breathes, his voice as husky as ever. "Why don't you and your sister stay here today? I just… don't wanna lose you."

Honestly, he could have said nearly anything right now and she would have agreed, showing only a slight amount of reluctance. "Oh… okay."

"We can talk about this more. I'm sure that if you let me explain my intentions, you'll understand why I do what I do." Not hearing any protest is all he needed. Letting her go completely, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone. With the front desk of security on speed dial, he quickly places the phone to his ear. "What room did they put Aura in?" He pauses to hear the response, then concludes, "Fine. I'm sending Bliss there now." Abruptly hanging up, he turns his attention back to her. "Your sister is in room 315. Stay there with her and I'll come talk to both of you, later today, alright?"

Still feeling the heat from the way he had just kissed her, she mindlessly nods. "Okay…"

She couldn't tell, but he was hurrying her out. "Good." After giving her another quick kiss on the lips, he turns her around and gently nudges her towards the door. "I'll see you soon."

In a daze, she wanders out of his office and makes her way to the Hall.

The _instant_ she's out of sight, Zayden rolls his eyes and grumbles to himself. "Dumb bitch." Keeping his phone out, he dials Shadow's number.

"_Yes, Master Zayden?"_ Shadow answers the phone appropriately.

There's no other greeting between them before Zayden is barking orders. "Get in contact with Kilgrave sometime today. Ask about his encounter with the sisters and find out if Bliss said anything to him. _None _of this works if he finds out the truth."

*****_SURPRISE!_*****

Upon waking up, Jessica was almost glad that she had experienced another memory gap. It meant that now she could finally get to the bottom of this.

With her back to the middle of the bed, she groans and rolls over onto the floor. The purpose of pushing herself from the comforts of the bed was to make sure she was up and moving before Axel. Hitting the wooden planks with a thud, she groans again but eventually rises to her feet.

As she turns to get the camera from her bookshelf, she notices that she wasn't alone.

Sprawled over her bed, Kilgrave laid asleep. Facing the ceiling, he was shirtless, laying with a pillow under his neck. His presence causes her to do a double take.

She stands there in the middle of her room and stares at him silently for no more than ten seconds. Inevitably, she just rolls her eyes and turns away, snatching her camera from it's stand. "Whatever." She mumbles to herself on the way out of her bedroom. Not giving it a second thought, she heads straight for her other camera.

It wouldn't be the first time she was having visions of Kilgrave in her apartment. And it certainly wouldn't be the first time she envisioned him in her bed…

If she wasn't so desperate to find out what happened last night, she would have thought about it more. It had almost been a full year since she saw him _that _clearly, and his timing seemed odd. Why now? What emotional crisis was she experiencing to warrant an appearance from him?

Maybe whatever was recorded would give her those answers.

Like it usually was after a blackout, her desk was wiped clear. Amongst the shit on the floor was her bra that she doesn't bother to pick up.

Grabbing her headphones, she plugs them into the camera that was overseeing the main area first. Starting at the beginning of what she recorded, she fast forwards through what she could remember. Leaving to put Axel to sleep, then getting a drink. Everything after that pretty much was blank.

What grabs her attention is the knock at the door. Watching herself get up to open it, her heart starts to beat faster. In the tape, she turns around and looks directly at the camera before taking a deep breath and moving to open it.

Straining to hear what was being said, Jessica watches the first minute of her encounter with the two women, then stops and rewinds. Then again. And again.

"What the fuck…" Jessica mutters under her breath, undoubtedly horrified by what she was witnessing.

The first person to touch her is the one that seemed to disorient her and remove her guard. There was no way of being precise or sure of this ability, because all Jessica fucking says is 'Hi' on record. The second person's powers were more evident by the visual effect they caused. So this gave her the ability to… _seduce _people?!

"Jesus, shit." This was beginning to feel familiar. Another case of rape. Surely this had to qualify.

Who were these people and what the hell did they want with her?!

Sick with unease mixed with anger, she fast forwards through the two of them having sex, then quickly presses play when the door opens.

"_Bliss?"_

"_What?!"_

"_Hey…"_

"_Stand. Up."_

Now, shaking for an entirely different reason, Jessica stares down at the screen with a blank look on her face.

"Were you not surprised to see me in bed next to you?" Kilgrave asks, having just emerged from the bedroom. Curious as to why she hadn't woken him immediately, he casually leans against the door frame. Still shirtless, he slips his hands into his trouser pockets.

The video doesn't get to play any further as the camera slips from Jessica's hands and falls to the floor. Her headphones get yanked out and fall with it.

Denial is, of course, the first thing her mind is set to. _Just another vision_ is the _most _logical of all the options that this could be. "Not again…" She mutters to herself and rubs her eyes, taking a tentative step back. "This isn't real…"

"_Again_?" Kilgrave repeats, raising his eyebrow. "Have you hallucinated me before or something?" He was only half serious, so he says this with a prideful smile. But upon seeing her reaction to this, he realizes the possibility that his death might've caused that amount of stress to be plausible. "Oh, Jessica." This time he's is full of compassion as he steps closer to her.

The fear and confusion becomes much more prevalent in her wide eyes. That was his _voice_. Not in her head, but actually reaching her ears through vibrations in the air around her.

She stays frozen long enough for him to reach out and gently grab her hand. "It's okay. I'm here."

This was exactly what he wanted. The moment he had waited for. Maybe she would fall into his arms and start crying. It was wishful thinking, but one could only hope. She would demand answers sooner or later, but just a moment of gratitude for the fact that she was seeing him alive again was in order.

For a second, she looks down at his hand grabbing hers. She was never able to feel a vision before. This causes her instincts to kick in.

Without another instant to waste, she rips her hand away from his and slams his back against the wall. Standing in front of him and pressing her forearm across his neck, she growls, "Who are you?!"

Wincing, Kilgrave attempts to take a full breath but fails. Fighting her strength was pointless, so he tries to lean his head back and get her to ease up. "Christ." Though he was still on the verge of being choked out, he can't help but continue to smile, seeing the real her for the first time since he woke up. "It's me, Jessica. You know it's me."

That only seems to provoke her and she presses into him harder. "Kilgrave _died_. I _watched _him die!" She continues to growl through other emotions she was suppressing.

This time, he does try to pull her arm down, because he could barely breathe. "Who else would I be?!"

Blinking hard, she tries to think of something that would make an ounce of sense. "I don't… I don't know… Another clone, or…" She shakes her head and lets up on him a little.

"I'm not a clone, okay? Relax." He says, worried that she was going to do exactly what she was about to do.

"Prove it." She utters, keeping him pressed to the wall as she turns around and looks for something on her desk. Pulling one of the draws open with her free hand, she shoves a few things around before taking out a long pair of scissors.

Shifting nervously now, he swallows hard. "You really don't have to -" Before he can get the sentence out, she opens the scissors and quickly slashes a diagonal cut across the back of one of his arms. It's luckily not very deep, but it's enough to get a fair amount of blood to start dripping from the cut. "Bloody hell!" He winces again as she finally lets up off his neck.

His skin was normal. There was no grey pattern to condemn him.

Jessica's eyes widen again as she takes several steps back, trying to organize her racing thoughts.

"Happy now?!" Kilgrave snaps, gripping his arm just above the cut. He wanted to roll his eyes at her, but he ends up sighing as he looks back into her frankly scared eyes.

Maybe having 'his moment' was _very _wishful thinking.

Making sure he didn't startle her, he slowly turns around and points at the rough scar on the back of his neck where Glitch's chip used to be. "See?" He says with a much softer tone, finally acknowledging how sensitive the situation was. "I'm alive, Jessica." Turning back around, he watches her eyes shift over his body.

She blinks hard again as if it were her last attempt to snap herself out of it. "I-I don't… but you were…-" She stammers, unsure which sentence to actually finish.

"I know." He provides a mellow and empathetic smile now. It was a lot for him to absorb the first time he heard it too. "I know." Whimpering again, he looks down at his arm as the blood slowly begins to drip onto the floor.

Silently excusing himself, he disappears into the kitchen. Returning a second later, he presses a stack of paper towels to the cut. Jessica was stuck in the same spot he left her with the same expression on her face.

Giving her a little space, he leans against the wall across from her. Taking a deep breath, they stare back at each other. "Perhaps I should explain…"

* * *

Author's note:

Did I borrow a line from the show "Fleabag"? Yes, but only because it was so fitting and fresh in my mind! (Anyone who knows the show will know what line I'm talking about).

As you can tell, there's some dark history between Bliss and Zayden, which we're bound to jump into sooner or later. Next chapter, however, we'll be focusing on Jessica and her long lost lover, as I think an explanation from him is overdue :)


	6. Gratitude

Author's note:

So, I'm trying something new this chapter. We're going to have a flashback _with_ narration from the present on top of it. As the flashback is happening, the narration will be quoted with _["this type of text"]_. Hopefully, that'll make sense when you read it. Enjoy!

* * *

_**Chapter Six: Gratitude**_

(Still) Day 2:

Knowing that Jessica was going to have to comprehend this to accept the fact that he was alive, Kilgrave does his best to tell the rather complicated story from his point of view.

He starts by saying, "I don't remember being dead, Jessica. But I very vividly remember dying… It felt like someone was yanking my last breath out with a string..." That statement makes him pause to try and organize what he was going to say next. It was almost painful to have to think back on that moment and describe exactly what it felt like, though he tries his best. "The last thing I saw was you… and then, nothing. It doesn't play in my head like I was asleep. It was more like I just _stopped_. Existing, or being. I don't bloody know, it's impossible to define. Anyway… I suppose it was about a month ago now…

*****_GRATITUDE_*****

*****About a month ago*****

_["And I just… woke up."]_

Wherever Kilgrave was, he was cold. Really cold. Not the place around him, but his actual skin.

The room he was in appeared to be a quaint hospital room, equipped with materials for advanced surgery along with comfortable living. A bright light hung over him, connected to the headboard of the bed he was lying on. In front of him, a fairly large TV quietly played the news. Like there was when he was last awake, there was an IV in his arm and a number of electrodes attached to his chest to monitor his vitals. Pulled over his body was a thick comforter, and under it, he could tell he was wearing nothing but a pair of pants. Despite the blanket, his skin felt like ice.

_["There was nothing restraining me, but I couldn't move. Not really, anyway."]_

In the corner of the room, there was one man sat in a chair. He had sunglasses on but he appeared to be looking in Kilgrave's direction. Seeing that he was awake, he cautiously stands up and walks to the edge of the bed. "Good morning, Kilgrave, my name is Shadow. I'm here to help you."

What strikes Kilgrave the most about his voice was that he had an American accent.

_["I had no idea where I was. It actually took me a second to process the fact that I was awake. And when I did, I panicked because I couldn't speak either."]_

With only the ability to shift slightly, Kilgrave opens his mouth but only a croak comes out.

Knowing what he was trying to do, Shadow shakes his head and reaches for something on the nightstand by him. "You shouldn't try to move or speak yet. Your muscles and vocal cords have been in a cryogenic state." The look on Kilgrave's face must have shown his lack of understanding because Shadow explains in more elementary terms. "They haven't been used for a very long time. It'll take a few days before you start to feel normal again." Holding out a glass of lukewarm water, he puts a fresh straw in and brings it to Kilgrave's lips. "Drink this."

He was skeptical, of course, but his throat was incredibly dry, so he tilts his head forward and takes a sip.

_["Then Shadow gave me this whole speech about 'I know you're scared, but we're trying to help you, blah blah,' bullshit. I don't remember much of that because it was so generic. Besides, I only cared about the answer to three questions that I couldn't ask. 'What happened to me?', 'where am I?', and 'where's Jessica?'"]_

"For you to be able to understand this experience, you'll need to read this." Shadow says after his 'bullshit' speech, as he retrieves an iPad from a messenger bag he had on the floor by his chair. Pulling a metal stand up from the side of his bed, he sets it up so that it clamps around the iPad and holds it in front of Kilgrave's face at eye level. "The first few pages are standard and apply to everyone, then we have a personalized script for you. Please read it thoroughly." Going back to the bag, Shadow retrieves a small remote clicker and gently places it in Kilgrave's hand. "Can you push this button with your thumb? It's okay if you can't yet…"

Feeling the remote in his hand, Kilgrave furrows his eyebrows and just barely manages to get enough force behind his thumb to be able to press down on the button under it. When it clicks, the screen lights up.

Taking this as some sort of improvement, Shadow smiles and nods. "Good. Keep clicking to go to the next page. I'll be right over there when you're done." Leaving him to his reading assignment, Shadow makes his way back to his chair. Pushing up his sunglasses, he pulls out his phone and sends a message.

The title screen in front of Kilgrave read, _'Welcome to ODMA (Organized Divisions for Mutant Allies)!'_

_["It was basically a guide manual. It explained everything. If I hadn't been certain that I was dying before, I wouldn't have believed any of it."]_

The next page started, _'Welcome! ODMA is an organization dedicated to education for and about mutants. We provide shelter for the homeless, train mutants to control and use their powers for good, fight against discrimination, and much more. We have a total of 11 divisions worldwide and we are still expanding. You are in division __2, New York City__._

_'Congratulations! You are one of the few people in the world that are lucky enough to be a part of "The Risen" program. Thanks to Master Zayden, you've been given a second chance at life.'_

_'Master Zayden Price is one of the shareholders of ODMA. He was transferred these shares from his father, the co-founder of the organization. He has developed a system with the ability to resurrect the dead, in controlled settings. To bring one person back, he sacrifices a lot, so your gratitude is appreciated._

_'Contrary to what you may think, Master Zayden's development cannot __**heal**_ _people. (Example: someone who died from cancer could be brought back for a short period of time. But as the cure to cancer has yet to be discovered, that person would die again a week or so later). Depending on how you passed away, you may still be feeling the lingering effects of wounds or disease. We have some great doctors, and other mutants with minor healing abilities, who likely played a part in your resurrection, and will play a part in your recovery._

_'Being one of The Risens is an exclusive opportunity. Along with new life, you will be provided with a new government-licensed identity. This includes a new name, birth certificate, social security number, license, passport, and any other documentation you may need._

_'These perks come with one condition. Along with signing a non-disclosure agreement, we'd like to hire you, to ensure that your new life is as full of meaning as it can be! Working for ODMA is a fun, relaxed job. Once you adjust to life again, we'll give you small tasks to accomplish that are customized to be easy for someone with your talents. That could include training others, organizing events, or just running errands. You will also be well compensated for your time and work.'_

_["That was the end of the standard information they gave everyone, I guess. I don't think anyone wants to believe that they actually died, which I guess is the point of making people read it all at once instead of having someone tell them. There's less time to freak out… It's not that I didn't want to believe it, I just couldn't fathom it. Besides that, hearing that this guy made something to raise the dead?! The description they gave of how it all works is much too vague. Even with its limits, it didn't sit well with me. It still doesn't. But I have no other way to explain how I'm standing here… The knowledge that I had been brought back to life is one thing, but it shocked me just as much to read..."]_

The next page begins, _'Kilgrave, you were dead for three weeks. It took that amount of time for us to discover your body and get you to Master Zayden. Your resurrection was done with haste, and you were immediately sent into cryostasis. If left out of this state, you would have died again within the first week._

_'It took us almost a year to run your full background and understand the nature of your abilities. It took another year to understand the technology that caused your death. We had to do micro-surgery on you a total of 43 times to remove the device in the back of your neck without causing any other damage. During the time we took you out of cryostasis for surgery, we had to give you dozens of blood transfusions to keep you alive._

_'We tell you this so that you understand and appreciate the time and resources that we dedicated to bringing you back. This information is also to help you comprehend how long it has been since you were last conscious. We have placed your date of death on July 8th, 2016. The current date is August 15th, 2022.'_

Reading this, Kilgrave's heart starts to pound which is reflected on the monitor. Shadow glances up at him over his sunglasses but goes back to looking at his phone. This type of reaction was typical and to be expected, so he doesn't pay much attention.

_["As you can imagine, the shock of that was hard to swallow. All I could think about was you, Jessica. Six bloody years had gone by and I needed to know what happened to you…"]_

After reading the current date, Kilgrave manically presses the button on the clicker, his eyes scanning each page for one thing; Jessica's name.

About seven pages go by before he sees what he's looking for. The pages he skipped detailed contract information along with a personalized recovery and rehabilitation plan. The one he stops on was in the midst of explaining what he was permitted to do on the outside world.

_'There are standard restrictions that we have in place which highlight when and if it is appropriate for any of The Risens to be reunited with friends and/or family. These time restrictions have to do with getting paperwork processed, ensuring that The Risen is in a stable enough mental state for a reunion, and if the friends and/or family members can be trusted with this knowledge. The details of your release and determination for reunions will be dealt out by Master Zayden after your first meeting with him._

_'In your case, Kilgrave, the time we require you to stay here before any reunions will also be determined by your ability to pass a number of written tests, based on major world events that have occurred in the last six years. You are officially our longest dormant patient, and the world has changed since you were last awake. A lot of the tests will be based on new laws that have gone into practice, especially pertaining to powered individuals. We will provide all the necessary materials to help you study these laws and world events, along with providing you with a tutor if you so desire one. Once you have sufficient knowledge of everything up to the current year, a timetable for any reunions can be made.'_

_'For you, we have found no record of past living family members. However, we understand that you were romantically involved with a woman known as __Jessica Campbell Jones__._

_'Eight months after your date of death, Jessica gave birth to a baby boy, who she named __Axel David Jones__. There is no father listed on record, but we can only assume the boy is yours. Both Jessica and Axel are currently healthy, living here in New York.'_

The page after only consists of a single picture. A candid, likely secretive, shot of Jessica and Axel outside at a park together, both of them smiling. The photo was dated May of this year.

Kilgrave's eyes cloud as he looks at the image. If asked to pinpoint one thing he was feeling at the time, he wouldn't be able to. He wasn't sure what to think at that moment. From being revived to learning he had a kid with the woman he loved. All he knew was that he was emotional.

Kilgrave stares at that single image for a couple of minutes. They looked happy…

Unable to fully lift his arm, he ignores the lone drop of water that trails down his cheek.

Blinking hard, he eventually backtracks to the pages he missed and skims over them, rather impatiently. When he reaches the true end of the reading, the iPad makes a sharp bell sound to indicate that he had finished.

Shadow looks up from his phone again and stands. "All done?" He asks, receiving nothing more than a glance. Walking back to Kilgrave's bedside, he finally takes his sunglasses off and hooks them over his shirt, revealing the true abnormality of his cat-like eyes. "I was told that my appearance can be startling for one of The Risens to immediately see." Shadow smiles as he removes the iPad and pushes the metal stand back down. Tucking the tablet under his arm, he tries to reassure Kilgrave in saying, "When you are well enough to speak or write, I'll be happy to answer any questions. I'm sure you have plenty. Today, however, is really just about letting you rest and think before you have to face any other tasks."

_["Of course, after the weight of learning all that hit me, I didn't give a shit about their organization or a new identity. I didn't want to work for them. I just needed to get out of there so I could see you… and our son. Anyway, another day or so passed before I could move or speak properly…"]_

*****A couple days later*****

There was a lot of resting involved, along with watching the news. Now, Kilgrave was given more reading to do, accompanied by the start of slow physical therapy.

The moment he was feeling well enough to walk on his own, he planned to leave. Finding Jessica without help wouldn't be hard. He had done it before, after all.

_["I suppose another important aspect to note is the 'power dead-zone', as it was referred to in what they gave me. It was described in one of the pages I just glanced at. I can't recall how they worded it, but they have some kind of generator that basically strips people of their power if they're in its range, for 'safety purposes'. Generally speaking, it means that even if I could talk immediately, I wouldn't be able to command anyone… I'm so goddamn tired of people taking my powers from me... Either way, I was going to leave…"]_

Early in the morning, Kilgrave groans as he drags himself out of bed and onto his feet. An unintentional smile comes across his face as he recalls the many times Jessica had dragged herself from the comforts of her bed the same way.

Out from under the covers, he continues to feel somewhat cold. His temperature seemed to level out back to normal, but he still felt sensitive to the slight lack of heat in the room. It probably didn't help that he only had pants on. Very carefully, he removes the IV from his arm, followed by ripping the electrodes off his chest. He winces in doing so. Luckily for him, there was no type of alarm or beeping that sounded from the machines.

Looking around, he searches a few of the drawers and cabinets before stumbling on some scrubs. They didn't appear to be intended for him, because they weren't his size. But he throws them on anyway, figuring he would acquire something else to wear once he was actually out of here.

Just as he was about to make a break for it, the door opens and Shadow steps in. Kilgrave wasn't sure if it was just the time he would have normally come in or if something alerted him to it.

Shadow doesn't show any signs of surprise or worry about the fact that he was up and moving, he simply asks in a mellow tone. "Are you going somewhere?"

"I'm going to see Jessica." Kilgrave answers without regret. His voice was still a little hoarse but that doesn't stop him from attempting to growl. "Stay out of my way."

Shadow doesn't move out of the way of the door and sighs. "I won't try to stop you from leaving now, nor will anyone else. But I am contractually obligated to inform you of the consequences."

Kilgrave's eyes roll, continually annoyed by the lack of his ability to control people. Figuring listening was the easiest way to get him off his back, he answers, "Fine. What is it?"

Scripted with what he should say, Shadow sighs again. "We have already provided you, 'Kevin 'Kilgrave' Thompson' with a death certificate. This was done through a completely legitimate process, which in turn has closed any case or investigation having to do with you. If you leave, we will have no choice but to take away your opportunity at a new identity, and with it, we would withdraw your death certificate. A certificate withdraw would immediately alert the authorities that you are, in fact, alive. Even if they can't pin any past crimes on you, they could charge you with _pseudocide_ or 'faking your own death', which is a form a fraud in and of itself. They will find no trace or evidence that ODMA has helped you with any of this, or done anything wrong at all if you were thinking that they might. In the past, I'm sure avoiding the police was quite easy for you. But as you missed, in the last six years, laws against powered individuals have gotten much harsher. If you are a criminal and they even _suspect_ that you have abilities, they can justify shooting you on site." Shadow pauses, quieting his voice to say, "If you go to Jessica now, without meeting our agreements, you won't just be putting yourself in danger. Jessica and Axel could easily become collateral in a face off against the police."

_["It felt like a threat. I'm not certain how much they actually know about me or how they got it, but it's already too much. They didn't seem to give me much of a choice."]_

Knowing the frustration on Kilgrave's face well, Shadow nods as if to be sympathetic. "Please, lay back down so we can start your physical therapy on schedule."

_["So, I did what he said. I did everything they bloody said. I took their tests, I signed an NDA and about five other contracts with them, and in return, they would refrain from putting a target on my back. Another week passed before I even met with the head of the division, or whatever, Zayden."] _

*****A week later*****

They had moved Kilgrave to his own room in Price Hall now. His closet was full of suits that were bought for his liking. He was also provided with the types of meals he desired, in a clear effort to try and keep him happy. Today was to be his first actual meeting with the 'Master', as everyone referred to him that way.

The people in the rooms surrounding Kilgrave's always tried to be welcoming and friendly, but he was having none of it. As he normally did, today he ignored their 'Hello's' and followed the path Shadow had instructed him to take to get to Zayden's office.

Upon arriving, Zayden opens his door to him and gestures toward a seat. There is no, 'It's nice to meet you'. Kilgrave wouldn't have received it well even if there was, but Zayden's presence and attitude were instantly off-putting.

"Kilgrave." Zayden says, sitting down behind his ridiculously large desk with a sigh. He raises his eyebrow and carelessly flips through a file on his desk. There was absolutely no effort to try and read any of the pages, as he just gives up and tosses the papers to the side. "That is what you like to call yourself, isn't it?" It can be assumed that the question was rhetorical because he doesn't stop to wait for an answer as he had only asked to mock him. "First thing's first on the agenda. You need a new name. I'm sure your advisor has informed you that you'd be picking it today. We have your identification cued up and ready to be entered into the system and printed. We just need your choice."

Judging by the first encounter he had with him, Kilgrave already knew what this relationship was going to be like.

_["Zayden is an entitled prick. Being in the same room as him makes my blood boil."]_

Trying not to let his teeth grind, Kilgrave tells him the name he had been given time to decide on.

His choice makes Zayden smirk. "Very well. You'll have a new ID in a couple weeks." Nodding, he types it into his computer before moving on. "Next, we should discuss Jessica. I understand she is the sole person you seek to contact?"

Kilgrave tenses hearing Jessica's name come out of this arsehole's mouth. Nevertheless, knowing he didn't have his powers here made him try to be more civil than usual. "Her, and my son."

"Your son! Yes, of course." Zayden continues to smirk before sliding his chair back and kicking his feet up on the desk. A few papers get shoved off and so does an empty travel mug that crashes to the floor. He goes on without picking it up or even looking at it as if nothing had happened. "Right. We can add Jessica to your NDA so that when you leave, you can tell her about us. However, that would make her your responsibility, meaning that the consequences will fall on you if she tells anyone else about any of this. Consequences, being the removal of your new ID and the withdraw of -"

"My death certificate." Kilgrave finishes with an earned look of annoyance. "Yeah, I got it." He had heard that at least ten times now.

Though it was obvious he didn't like being interrupted, Zayden nods anyway. "Exactly." Picking up a stapler by his computer, he starts to subconsciously click it in his hand. "You will agree to that?"

"Sure." Kilgrave sighs, wishing this would just be over.

"Good." Flipping the stapler up, he catches it in his hand and continues to press down on it, watching the wasted staples fall to the floor. "Well, you seem to be on track with the tests we're giving you, and I've gotten no negative reports from your psychiatrist. That being said, you should be able to see her by the time your new identification is ready in a couple weeks. We may or may not have you go out on a few missions before that."

The timetable for his reunion was estimated by Shadow before, so this doesn't come as a shock. But having been told about these 'missions' before in vague detail, Kilgrave's eyes narrow. "What exactly will you have me doing?"

Zayden shrugs, pinching a bent staple between his fingers before flicking it away. "Normally, we would determine assignments beforehand based on the power people possess. But you… your ability is unique to almost any other Risen, or mutant I have working for me, for that matter. I'm not entirely sure what to have you do yet." He smiles at him from across the desk but doesn't show his teeth. "Don't worry, it'll only be a handful of small tasks every now and then. Nothing you can't handle. I'm sure that when I think of something, I'll let you know."

Thinking for a moment, Kilgrave tries to be comfortable with the idea but finds it impossible. So what, he was supposed to be at this guy's beck and call forever? A goddamn errand boy? He doesn't get the chance to vocalize this before Zayden is talking again.

"Depending on what we have you do, you are likely to earn a few thousand dollars a month which will sustain a reasonable lifestyle for you. Your earnings will be transferred directly to a bank account under your new name. I know money is no object for you, but we'd like you to do as much as you can in a legal manner from now on." Shrugging, he takes his feet back down off the desk. "I'm assuming that following your reunion with Jessica, you'll want to move out of the Hall. That's perfectly acceptable. Your contract includes minimal restrictions as to what you are not permitted to do when you leave here." Seemingly done talking, he genuinely looks in Kilgrave's direction. "Questions?"

Staring back at him, Kilgrave is reminded of his power struggle with Glitch and how that didn't really turn out well for either of them. But he still refused to roll over. "How long am I meant to do this?" He asks, on the verge of growling.

Zayden raises his eyebrow and pretends to misunderstand. "Do what?"

"Work for you." He spits back this time.

The look in Zayden's eyes becomes much less innocent as he answers. "As long as I want you to."

Kilgrave scoffs, now letting go of all attempts to be respectful or accepting. "If you think holding some bullshit consequence over my head is going to keep me tied to you, you're sorely mistaken."

That's when Zayden shows his true colors. "Your ass would be in the fucking ground if it wasn't for me!" He snaps, thoughtlessly gripping a piece of paper, crumpling it in his hand. "You…" He angrily laughs and shakes his head, "You have no idea who you're talking to or what I fucking did to get you here. You're used to being the one in control of situations, but not here. If you wanna test me, Kilgrave, be my fucking guest. But I gave you this new life, and so help me god if I'm not willing to rip it away from you and bury you where you belong." With both of his fists clenched, he snarls at him, "The next time you walk into my office, swallow your fucking pride. Be grateful for what I've done and what I am doing for you."

_["If I had my powers… he'd be sorry for talking to me like that. But I've never encountered him outside of that building… Christ, I hate him. And I hate to even admit it, but he is the reason I'm standing here…"]_

Having effectively shut Kilgrave up, Zayden takes a deep breath and lets go of the paper he had strangled. With nothing left to say, and too irritated to keep in his presence, his dismissively waves his hand at him. "You can go now."

_["There's something deeply unsettling about him, aside from the fact that he's an arsehole. But I have nothing to use against him. Besides the whole 'resurrecting people and giving them new ID's' thing, he hasn't done anything illegal that can be proved. He even makes sure no one is killed as a result of the contracts he makes people sign. Everyone there is either afraid of him or they admire him…]_

*****_GRATITUDE_*****

*****Present*****

"That brings us to two nights ago." Kilgrave starts his conclusion, looking to see if Jessica was still following.

Standing opposite him, she kept pulling her shirt down to try and cover her bare skin. Her eyes had a rather glazed over look on them, so his head tilts. His arm was about done bleeding now, so he dabs the cut a couple more times before setting the paper towel down on the desk in front of him.

Explaining his first encounter with her, he gives vague details of who Zayden presented the sisters to be and then describes exactly how he caught them again last night.

"You were pretty out of it, Jessica. Don't worry, in spite of how desperate you were, we didn't have sex." He can't stop himself from grinning at her. "Though, you did insist that I spend the night. And here we are."

Jessica was doing her best to absorb all this information, but more than his resurrection was troubling her. The rest of her life was now in question. Glaring back at him, she begins to shake her head, "Oh my god…"

By now, Kilgrave should've given up on the whole idea of her being overjoyed and hugging him, but somehow he still expected it, as he extends his arms out to her. "I know."

When he brings himself to her, she slaps his arms down and growls at him. "What the fuck am I supposed to do with that?!"

Somewhat confused and a little bit hurt, he pouts at her. "What?"

"Your plan is to come here so we can, what? Pick up where we left off?! It's been _six_ years. I can't -" Now she was pacing. "I have a _son_. I can't just -"

"_We_ have a son." Kilgrave corrects with a smile.

Jessica shakes her head again, feeling her hands tremble. "You don't understand. Yesterday, you were _literally_ dead to me. What… what am I…"

"Let me see him." He cuts off her rambling and looks at her hopefully then shifts his eyes to the closed door where Axel was. When Jessica says nothing, he sighs and moves towards his room. "I want to meet my son…"

Just seeing him move in that direction, her eyes widen and she instinctively puts her hand on his chest and shoves him backward, hard. One of her infinite concerns about this situation had been bubbling in her throat until she finally snaps at him, "He's not _your_ son!"

* * *

Author's note pt. 2:

I can't _promise_ a happy ending this time around, MusicKeeper. But goddamnit, it will be interesting :'D

Absolutely nothing about this chapter was easy to write. If the narration over the flashback was confusing, or you didn't like it, please let me know. I'd love to hear opinions because I might try something like this again or even some other new stuff.

Until next time, fam. See ya!


	7. No Joke

_**Chapter Seven: No Joke**_

(Still) Day 2:

"Just because I wasn't around when he was born, doesn't mean he's not my son." Kilgrave smiles softly, beginning to understand her frustration.

Jessica scowls and her fists clench, repeating herself. "You don't understand."

The sound of little feet can be vaguely heard in the background before Axel's bedroom door opens. Still in his pajamas, Axel sleepily rubs his eyes as he enters the room. "Mommy?" When he pulls his hands away from his eyes, he peers at his mother and then at the stranger in the room. His head flops to the side as he and Kilgrave lock gazes.

"Axel…" Kilgrave breathes his name, actually seeing him in person for the first time.

"Hi." Axel waves, since this man seemed to know him. Having been taught his manners and how to interact with people from Aunt Trish, he proceeds to say. "I'm Axel. What's your name?"

Before Kilgrave can say anything, Jessica stops him. "Get back in your room and wait for me."

Instantly pouting, he attempts to protest. "But, Mommy, I just -"

"Now, Axel!" She snaps this time, having used up all her patience.

Obviously on the verge of tears, he quietly goes back into his room and closes the door behind him.

Kilgrave's head tilts at her. "That was a bit harsh."

"Shut up," Jessica growls at him next, grabbing him by his arm. She needed some time to think. With speed, she shoves him back into her bedroom. "If you open this door, I'll kill you myself." She threatens in a quiet tone, slamming it shut in his face.

Just as quickly, she snatches her phone and dials Trish's number. It only takes a couple of rings for her to answer, "_You're up earlier than I thought you'd be."_ She laughs a little, taking a breath to add something.

Jessica stops her before she can, holding the phone between her shoulder and her ear. "I need you to come here, _now_." As she makes her way towards her son's bedroom, she can hear his crying. "Shit." She mumbles to herself before opening the door.

Axel had curled up with one of his stuffed animals, sobbing into it. When he sees his mother, his cries get louder and he turns his back to her.

Hearing him through the phone and the urgency in Jessica's voice, Trish becomes concerned with good reason. "_Jess? What's going on?"_

"Just _get here_." Jessica says, holding Axel under his arms to get him to sit up. "Please. I need you to take Axel out for awhile." Moving the phone back from her mouth for a second, she looks at her son and sighs again, wiping under his eyes. "Hey, I'm sorry I yelled at you. Okay, kid? You didn't do anything wrong."

His sobs quiet down but don't stop completely.

"_Yeah, okay. I'm on my way."_ There's the sound of her rushing to get her stuff and her front door closing. "_Are you going to tell me what's going on?"_

"I'll tell you later." Upon hanging up, she sets her phone down and swiftly picks Axel up. Holding him on her hip with one arm, she takes him to the bathroom where she sits him on the counter and grabs some toilet paper. "I'm sorry I snapped at you." She apologizes again, sure to use a softer tone. Balling up the toilet paper, she wipes the snot from under his nose.

"I thoughts… I-" He snivels, wiping his cheeks with his sleeves.

"I know. We're fine." Tossing the toilet paper in the trash, she reaches for him again. "Come here, kid."

This time when she lifts him up, he wraps his arms around her neck and lays his head against her shoulder.

"Aunt Trish is on her way to get you. You're gonna spend the day with her, okay?" Back in his bedroom, she sets him down on his feet and reaches for his dresser to get him some clothes.

"Okay…" He murmurs as he glances at the door. "Who is the man you were talking to?" He asks as she hurriedly pulls his pajama shirt off over his head. His voice shrinks and he avoids her eyes.

"Don't worry about it." She says, slightly harsher than she meant to.

Axel doesn't ask anything else.

By the time Jessica had gotten Axel dressed and packed a bag of a few things he needed and for him to do, Trish was arriving.

Rushing into the apartment, Trish looks at her sister with worry. Her eyes widen when she catches a glimpse of the bloody paper towel on her desk. "Jesus, Jess. Are you okay?" She scans her up and down, looking at her half-dressed state for any sign of injury or a clue as to what was so urgent.

"I'm fine." Jessica utters, handing the bag and Axel's hand over to Trish. "I just… I need you to take him out of here right now." It was clear that she was trying not to alarm her son at the same time she was trying to show her seriousness to Trish.

"Alright…" She glances down at her confused nephew and gently squeezes his hand. "We can go back to my place and have some fun." While she was looking at Axel, she smiles, but it disappears when her eyes meet Jessica's again.

With the same level of intensity, Jessica says to her, "Don't bring him back until I tell you to." Bending down, she kisses Axel's forehead and attempts to give off the idea that everything was normal. "I love you, kid. Always have,"

"Always will." Axel finishes although he was ultimately feeling the tension in the room.

On their way out the door, Jessica tells Trish, "I'll call you."

The moment they're out of the apartment, Jessica dives for her laptop. Her eyes shift to the bedroom door that had thankfully stayed closed. Part of her starts to question her own memory from a few minutes ago. Was any of this real? The same part of her wanted to open the door and check to see if he was still in there. She doesn't, however, knowing that if she was going to get a moment to herself, it had to be now.

As soon as her computer turns on, she starts to search for this so-called organization that he was convinced was responsible for his resurrection. It did, in fact, exist. Unsurprisingly, there were no signs of them being able to raise the dead. Everything else he had said checked out though. Even the fact that Zayden Price was running the New York division of ODMA.

She doesn't get much further into his history, however.

Having heard everything that happened, Kilgrave figured it was safe to come out now. He had waited awfully patiently after all. Plus, he was willing to take his chances on her threat being empty.

"It doesn't sound like Patsy's changed much." He grins, pushing the door open to look at her behind the desk.

Hearing his voice again is almost startling and her heart pounds as she growls at him. "I told you to stay in there." Her eyes stay on her computer.

Kilgrave shrugs and moves to lean on the edge of the desk next to her. "You rushing our son out of here just to avoid seeing me? That seems terribly dramatic." Seeing that she was having a hard time looking at him, he casually closes her laptop.

Her teeth grind together as she pushes her chair back and stands up, wanting to get some distance from him. "I needed to get him away from you..."

Before she can move away completely, he grabs her by the wrist and pulls her closer. There's hardly any space between them as he whispers to her, "He's going to have to meet his father eventually."

The lack of distance is what instantly flusters her. It was harder to breathe. It's now that she notices him looking at her lips. Her eyebrows furrow and her head shakes as she tries desperately hard to say what she meant to earlier. "You're not his father."

Kilgrave smirks and leans forward, finding that she doesn't move away. "Of course I am."

Their lips graze each other's for half a second before Jessica forces herself to step back and blurt it out. "I didn't know he wasn't you!"

The declaration doesn't compute with him and he frowns from the fact that they didn't kiss. "What?"

"I didn't know he wasn't you…" She repeats, much quieter as the throbbing of her heart makes her chest hurt. The next thing out of her mouth is spoken much slower. "You were with Glitch… but I… I didn't know that. I hadn't figured it out yet…"

The confusion on Kilgrave's face melts into horror as he begins to realize what she was saying. "Tell me you're joking." He demands, his tone dangerously low.

She shakes her head again and she takes a shaky breath, wishing that was the case. "He was acting weird… I knew something was wrong, but I didn't _know_." The idea of having to actually tell this to Kilgrave was her worst nightmare. It wouldn't be a big deal if she didn't feel so goddamn guilty about it, to begin with. "We got careless…" She mutters, referring to the lack of condom used. She couldn't look at him at all, staring at the ground as she says, "I found out he was Kevin later that day…"

Kilgrave stays remarkably still, but his expression turns against her. "You can't be serious."

Forced to make him believe the truth, she nods, still avoiding his eyes. "I did the math, Kilgrave. You were in Eden when Axel was conceived…"

Now, he was quite literally shaking with anger. Nothing about this situation was okay. Not only was this was the first time he was hearing that Jessica and his clone had sex, but on top of that, his son wasn't even his?!

That basically meant that Axel was as much Kilgrave's son as he was Glitch's. It was horrifying.

"What have you done?" Kilgrave growls, standing up straight, his muscles tenser than hers.

"You can't honestly blame me!" She shouts, trying to defend herself. The volume was behind her voice but not the sincerity. "How was I supposed to know?"

"How were you supposed to know?!" He snaps, raising his voice to match hers. "We spent _weeks_ studying those clones! And you couldn't tell that you were shagging one?" His jaw tightens at the thought of her having sex with someone else when they were basically in a relationship, even if the other man was identical to him.

"We hadn't figured out they were _clones_ yet! You can't fucking blame me for not knowing." The feeling of betrayal still lingered within her and it felt more like she was arguing with herself than anyone else.

"Oh, but you were so careful around me, weren't you?" He steps to her so he can force her to look up at him as he snarls, "But the instant I'm gone, you decide to fuck him raw and have a kid, is that right?"

"Shut up!" She wanted to punch him for saying that, but she ends up shoving him backward instead. Both of them were trembling, though for different reasons, glaring at each other. After a beat of silence, she shakes her head once more. "To be fair, I was never going to tell you. I shouldn't've had to fucking tell you because you're supposed to be _dead_."

"Huh." He huffs out, finding it impossible to get rid of the feeling of outrage and disgust she had just caused him. "And that's your excuse?!"

"It's not an excuse!" She barks, unable to express her true feelings without seeming weak. "I wouldn't need one anyway because… you have some twisted idea in your head that we were dating. That just because I had sex with you a few times, we were _exclusive_." Everything that left her mouth was nothing she envisioned herself saying.

"You know something? You're a real pain in the arse when you're in denial." Kilgrave scowls, wishing she wasn't so bloody stubborn with her emotions. "Where does that leave us, Jessica?"

"You tell me." She scoffs, biting her tongue before saying, "What did you expect, anyway? That you could just waltz in here and we would all be one big, happy, bullshit family? It wouldn't have happened that way, no matter what." What she goes on to declare obviously pains her. "I have a _life_. Besides how goddamn shady what happened to you is, things are different. _I'm_ different. And I love Axel more than anything…"

The pain is reflected back onto Kilgrave as he mutters, "He should be mine."

"But he's not." Jessica responds, sharply this time. "And you can't change that." As she takes another step away from him, she finds her back to the wall. The look in his eyes is somehow devastated now and she couldn't help but feel responsible. "I didn't ask for you to be resurrected, Kilgrave."

"And you think _I_ did?! Do you think I had a say in any of this?" He says back in an attempt to be angry again, but he only sounds crushed. "How am I _supposed_ to feel right now? You seem to have all the answers. So why don't you tell me?"

"I don't know..." She mumbles with honesty. Her lack of answers made only one thing clear to her. "But I think you should leave."

"What?" The thumping of his heart is almost visible.

"I need time to process this shit, alright?! And so do you…" Again, she pulls her shirt down to subconsciously cover her exposed skin. "You need to leave."

It was as those words were coming out of her mouth that Kilgrave takes three long strides across the room to reach her. Both of his hands come up around her face and he immediately leans down to where his lips meet hers. There was no avoiding it this time. She could have easily pushed him away but both of them seemed to know that she wouldn't.

Six years might have passed for Jessica, and yet she was still as accustomed to his touch as he was to hers. It was the first time their lips had touched since the day he died and his lips were as soft, if not softer than she remembered. The recognition of this sends a chill down her spine. She was convinced that she could have shown more reserve if the side effect didn't make her libido so high, but that was an easy excuse to tell herself.

Her head tips back as she accepts his tongue into her mouth. He holds her there, one hand sliding back around her neck, his body pressing closer. The way he kisses her is slow but forceful, unashamed of his possessivity of her. They were dancing together, making out against the wall like high-schoolers. She'd be lying if she said she didn't kiss him back with the same fervor. The sound of their lips smacking with each head tilt and adjustment almost drowns out the sound of their breathing.

He draws back first, giving them each a second to inhale. When his eyes open, they search hers for signs of hesitation. Everything in his expression was a dead give away of what his intentions with her were.

Now was her chance to protest.

Instead, she says nothing and just stares back at him, shifting on her feet. If this was a dream, she wouldn't tell him to stop, so why should she now?

When his lips brush over hers a second time, they hover there as his hips press against hers, keeping her pinned to the wall. Their sexual chemistry undeniably comes back with ease and suddenly everything around them is the spitting image of lust. The air thickens and every brush of the skin sends a pulse to their genitals. While she manages not to lean forward to show any signs of eagerness, she whines, giving up on her short-lived attempt to remain stoic. It was quite involuntary when her body rocks against his, creating a familiar sensation of friction. The blood that rushes to Kilgrave's groin seems to come directly from his head and provides the feeling of walking on air. Nothing was going to stop him now.

Viewing her inner struggle, he holds back a grin, his eyes dark and defiant. The next kiss on her lips is brief before he kisses the side of her jaw and stops just under her ear. Breathing against her neck, his right hand slides in the space between them. Going up her shirt first, he carefully strokes over her stomach, aware of the way she clenches her abdomen because of it. Jessica swallows hard but doesn't move. His thumb brushes her navel before he moves south to the edge of her underwear. He doesn't pause there for long and promptly slips his hand down. His fingers tantalize her at first by merely caressing her folds and circling around her clitoris.

Him teasing her was dissatisfying for more than one reason. Still, though she wasn't going to stop him, she refused to encourage him. Leaving her with no option but to endure his torture.

When he puts her out of her misery, he doesn't do so with mercy. As she was already wet, he has no trouble driving his middle finger into her vagina. "I fucking love you." Kilgrave hisses in her ear, saying so as if it frustrated him.

"Uh…" She audibly whimpers, knowing that with anyone else, this type of foreplay would feel incredibly meaningless, but today, for some reason, it melts her. Feeling fairly trapped, she lays her head on the wall behind her, trying to take a slow breath.

He doesn't give her much of a chance to do that as he doesn't hesitate to insert his index finger into her as well, knuckle-deep on repeat. His tongue finds her skin before his lips do, dragging against her neck. The sound of her weighted panting encourages him. She moans as her eyes screw shut and she rocks against his hand. She reaches to grab his arm for stability, feeling her legs start to tremble.

"Mmm, Jessica." Kilgrave whispers her name, lapping at her neck. He hooks his fingers inside her and begins to tug forward, quickly stimulating her G-spot.

The moment he does, Jessica loses her composure and panics at the feeling of heaven. Worried about her own behavior and if she was going to be able to keep standing, she finally pulls his hand out from the front of her underwear. Out of breath, and clearly desperate, she concedes to the fact that the time for caution was over. Allowing herself the freedom of going on autopilot, she grabs him by the front of his pants and draws him behind her into the bedroom.

He slams the door shut behind them and follows her onto the bed. She purposely doesn't look him in the eye when he crawls over her and pushes her legs apart with his knees. He licks his fingers that had been inside her before he takes the bottom of her shirt and pulls it over her head. Having no bra on, all she had left was her panties, now a little wet at the bottom. Leaning down, Kilgrave runs his tongue up her stomach and over to one of her nipples. The light trail of saliva sticks to her skin and gives her goosebumps. Taking his time with each of her breasts, he places the first nipple between his lips and gently sucks until its hard before moving onto the next one.

Jessica gasps and her back arches. She groans then bites her cheek to refrain from saying anything, admittedly finding it hard to breathe through her nose. As impatiently, she reaches for his pants in a hurried attempt to get them off.

But Kilgrave lifts his head and snatches her hands to stop her from proceeding. The pause agonizes her, and she can feel herself becoming humiliated at the thought that he was going to stop them completely.

His agenda was different, however. Not stopping entirely, he lets go of her and takes a hold of the edge of her underwear, leisurely pulling them down. As he does so, he makes sure she's looking at him when he quietly growls, "Is this the position he had you in?" His eyebrow raises and the fact that he was still absurdly angry at her becomes apparent.

That's what this was about. It was his fucked up way of coping with the thought that she had sex with his clone and the inevitable thought that came with it. How many other men had she slept with in the time he was gone? Maybe she couldn't be blamed for that, or any of it for that matter. But having her now was his only comfort. Nevertheless, it didn't mean the rage of it had subsided.

Her jaw clenches, finally understanding his thought process in all this. She pushes up on his bare chest and forces him to roll over onto his back. He asked for it. Kicking off her underwear, she mounts him and sits up straight, towering over him in naked glory. "It was more like this." She says in response, keeping one hand on his chest. Despite how long ago it was, she could vividly remember the time she spent with Kevin before she knew who he was.

His eyes burn with fury at the thought, and he attempts to sit up to express it through a kiss. But her pressing down on him firmly kept his back to the bed. Her exposed sex carelessly rubs against the fabric of his clothes and she hums. With her free hand, she unbuttons his pants before she reaches for the dresser next to the bed. It only takes a second for her to retrieve a condom from the top drawer. Using both of her hands for this, she tears the foil packet open.

Taking this opportunity, Kilgrave bucks his hips up and knocks her off balance, making it easier for him to roll her onto her back once again. On top, he rips the condom from her hand and throws it at the wall next to them. "You didn't bother using one with him." As quickly as he had placed her beneath him, he shoves his own pants down and frees his cock, which was now dripping with anticipation.

Finding that his judgment of her carelessness with Kevin was more than unfair, she objects as best she can, ready to reach for another condom. "You don't own me." The words catch in her throat, as he hadn't waited for her to finish before he presses the tip of his erection against her. He holds his shaft to position himself, discovering her entrance with speed. Stretching her open, he eases in, no less than gracefully. "Shit…" She should have been shoving him onto the floor, to highlight the disrespect he had just shown her when he threw the condom away. Some parts of this entitled asshole would never change. But instead, her eyes roll back as she lets out and uncontrolled whimper.

A deep groan escapes his throat as his body joins hers, more than physically connecting them. When he's completely consumed by her, he adjusts, holding them in that position. They were like irregular puzzles pieces. They shouldn't have fit together so perfectly, yet they did.

Kilgrave's head lifts so that his lips can hover over hers again. Her panting is matched by his as he gazes back at her. When he does choose to move, he simply pulls out and thrusts back into her with unexpected vigor.

The resounding whine she exhales causes him to eventually answer what she had stated a moment ago. "You're _mine_." He whispers with the same amount of intensity that was presented in his body. Dropping to his forearms, he captures her lips between his.

Whether she agreed with that or not, she didn't have the will to answer. Instead, she grinds her tongue against his as her legs spread open wider. The bed begins to creak as the rhythm of Kilgrave's thrusts fall into a pattern. The pressure of his body falls on her like a cloak, wrapping her in the heat of his passion. When she draws back, he gasps for breath and she briefly bites down on his lower lip.

"Jessica…" Her name leaves his mouth again as he nuzzles his face into the crook of her and leaves it there. There was nothing better than being inside her, and god he loved everything about the way she felt underneath him.

Her hips keep their own time to give her the satisfaction of rubbing her clitoris against his lower stomach with every succinct movement. "Kilgrave…" She mumbles as an instinctive response, one of her hands finding his hair. Now, she let herself swim in the loss of distinct thought, the fact that she had just moaned his name leaving a sweeter taste in her mouth rather than a bad one. If he wasn't still so familiar to her...

It was holy to hear his own name come from her at a moment like this. What he had waited for. The Jessica he met yesterday wouldn't have said his name with the same saturated history and beauty as she just had. Her hand slips from his hair and falls to the bed. Intuitively, his hand finds hers and he interlocks their fingers together. The rigid force behind his body changes slightly as he grips her hand and presses it into the mattress by her waist.

She squeezes his hand in return and her eyes fall shut, allowing herself to indulge in the astonishing moments leading up to her climax. Why with him? Why not take pleasure in a more conventionally acceptable person? The truth was, nothing about them would ever be conventional.

Though it was hushed, the frantic state of her breathing reflects the edge of her limits. The feeling of vulnerability builds in the pit of her stomach sooner than she wanted or anticipated. In a weak attempt to slow down, she uses her free hand to push up on his abdomen, struggling more than she should to wedge a gap between them.

But determining that he wasn't going to show sympathy to this attempt, he increases the magnitude of his thrusts. The muscles in his back flex as he arches up with every pump into her. From this, she can't find the energy to fight him anymore and her hand falls from between them, down to grip the sheets. At this point, she surrenders control over the situation and lets his body take hers wherever he pleased.

Kilgrave accepts her surrender with a sense of poise and a bit of pride. The walls of her vagina seem to tighten around him and the reciprocating groan is the definition of sensual, long and erotic. He muffles his sounds into the base of her throat, her skin moist with his breath. Her orgasm arrives in a surge, causing her hips to buck erratically, losing all sense of tempo. The jerking of her body is accompanied by a stifled series of whimpers in his ear.

"Oh, Jessica." He says her name one last time before he clenches his teeth. Letting go of her hand, he abruptly sits up and pulls out of her with seconds to spare. Knowing his body well, he rubs his length only once before he ejaculates onto her stomach. The strings of thick white liquid shoot out in waves, each burst covering more of her skin.

Feeling his heated come shower down on her, she writhes and her eyes close. Her mouth opens as she gasps for a full breath, her body twitching.

His cock pulses a few more times as Kilgrave falls onto his back beside her, wheezing with the same amount of struggle. He ignores the last drops of secretion that leak from his tip now that he was laying down.

The post-sex high is immediately overtaken by exhaustion. The two of them laid next to each other, covering the bed, trying to breathe. They both neglect to think about the sweat, saliva, and semen they laid in because all they felt was warmth. Jessica stares up at the ceiling, while Kilgrave lets his eyes close.

Surprisingly, Jessica is the first to break the verbal silence. In a strikingly solemn tone, she mutters to him, "I hate you."

His eyes snap open and he turns to look at her, but she doesn't shift her gaze. It was painfully obvious that she wasn't joking when she said this. His breathing had leveled, so he lets out a sigh, now looking up at the ceiling as well. "No, you don't." The fact that she wasn't joking didn't at all mean that her statement was true. He knew that.

…

Kilgrave was alive. Axel wasn't his son.

Instead of talking about either of these issues in detail, they fucked each other. That left one question hanging over their heads. _Now what?_

* * *

Author's note:

Lyrics from the song 'Back from the Dead' by Skylar Grey: "I'm so confused, I don't know what to feel / Should I throw my arms around you or kill you for real? / I never thought that you and I would ever meet again / I mourn the loss of you sometimes and pray for peace within / The word "distraught" cannot describe how my heart has been / But where do we begin now that you're back from the dead?" - I randomly heard this song on the radio about a month before I started writing PR and I was shook from how relevant it was!

When I wrote Jessica and Kevin having unprotected sex on the floor in PK, I set up a timetable for the rest of the story. The epilogue needed to take place about 4/5 weeks later so Jessica could realize she was pregnant, meaning that I had to kill Kilgrave within a couple of weeks. So if you were going to ask if I planned it this way on purpose, the answer is yes. It's rather cruel of me, I know… but what else is new?

I spent more time writing this sex scene than I care to admit. Whatever... it was worth it ;)

Friends, we have a long way before any type of ending, but I'm glad to see you're enthusiastic for a happy one. There's time to change my mind :'D


	8. Three Words

_**Chapter Eight: Three Words**_

(Still) Day 2:

It doesn't take long for Jessica to start feeling nauseated. "Goddamnit…" She grumbles to herself really, but directs it at Kilgrave.

His gaze turns to her again as he watches her stiffly stand up off the bed. Her naked body seems to glisten in the dim light and he wants to smile, but doesn't. She was clearly annoyed with him. He wasn't ready for another shouting match yet, wishing they could just lay there for a while. Her touch was all he could think about for the past month and he'd like to bask in the brilliance of it for just a little longer. She had other plans.

He lets out a faint sigh. "Where are you going?"

Catching him gawking at her, she scowls and yanks the sheet out from under him. Wrapping herself in it, she promptly grabs fresh underwear from her dresser, along with yesterday's shirt and jeans from the floor. She doesn't bother answering his question, but on the way out, she snaps at him. "Shut up."

She knew he wasn't going to go anywhere. That's why she didn't bother instructing him to do anything. That meant, she had time for a quick shower. It was the only way she could feel clean with his come all over her.

When she gets in, she makes sure the water is as cold as she can take it. The last thing she needed was for him to be constantly distracting her with his body...

Although she wanted to take her time, the anxiousness she felt about having a dead guy possibly wandering around her apartment made her cut it short. Just as fast as she got in, she gets out and dries herself off, throwing on the clothes she brought in with her.

Studying at herself in the mirror, she shakes her head, as if to silently acknowledge her disappointment in herself. With that, she opens up her medicine cabinet and pulls out her last box of 'Plan B: one step'. After a few mistakes, she became very future-conscious. About a year ago, she bought three of the emergency contraceptive pills for instances like this. Luckily, it hadn't expired yet, so she pops it in her mouth and swallows it dry. Honestly, it would probably be easier and less expensive to just be on birth control, which is an option she'd have to consider. On her way out of the bathroom, she leaves the sheet on the floor and takes the empty box with her.

Kilgrave had done nothing more than pull his pants up while she was gone, his eyes having closed. He was busy inhaling the smell of her in her bed when she comes back in. His eyes open just in time to catch the small cardboard box that was being whipped in his direction. He winces as it nearly cuts his hand from the force she threw it with.

"You owe me $50." She growls at him, standing at the foot of the bed.

His eyebrow raises as he examines the exterior of the box. He hesitates to say anything, squinting at her grave expression. "... I pulled out." He utters, slowly sitting up but not getting out of the bed.

"I don't want to take those chances anymore." She answers simply, thinking back to how she _thought_ she had pulled Kevin out too. Even if she had, the odds of that keeping her pregnancy-free was obviously less than one hundred percent.

This time when he sighs, it's because he knows he's in trouble. "You're upset."

"How can you tell?" Her sarcastic voice is light and airy, pretending to be surprised. His tie, jacket, belt, and shoes were still on the ground, but she starts by picking up his shirt and throwing that at him too. "Get dressed."

Gradually rising to his feet, he takes another guess as to what she's thinking. "You want me to leave..."

"Right again! Wow, you're on fire today." She keeps with the sarcasm, finding comfort in it. Before he says anything else, she leaves the bedroom and makes her way to the front door, knowing she wouldn't get rid of him if she didn't see him out personally.

He puts his shirt back on, leaving it unbuttoned, then puts on his shoes next. He leaves the rest of his clothes where they are. Lingering behind her, he asks with much less authority than he had before they went to bed together, "Where would you have me go, Jessica?"

Unimpressed by this question, she motions him towards the door, "I don't give a shit. Back to the Hall of the Dead, or whatever you called it." When he doesn't move, she grinds her teeth. "I need to _think_. And I can't do that with you here."

"They're kicking me out." He lies, easily. It was just a little white lie, and she needed this push to force her to talk to him. "They've probably cleaned out my room by now. They asked me to pick up the rest of my documents and clothes by tomorrow." Knowing she wasn't going to accept it that easily, he makes his way to her.

Jessica opens the door and holds the knob, almost using the door as protection from any form of intimacy he tried to use. "You said they were paying you. So go rent an apartment like a normal human being…"

"I haven't been paid for anything yet. All I have is you, here." Instead of reaching out for her hand, he leans against the wall. She stays silent as she tries to think around this, and he takes that opportunity to show his willingness to agree, although he knew exactly how this would end. "Fine. If you want me to leave, I'll go." Just as silently, he makes his way back to the bedroom and collects his missing clothes.

She watches him trail from there back to the door, where he doesn't hesitate to walk out. Her jaw clenches more with every step away from her he took without looking back, not even to see if she had closed the door. She hadn't. She waits almost until he reaches the end of her hall before finally calling out to him, as if to test his sincerity about respecting her wish. "Wait!" God, she hated it when he was being agreeable. It made him look pitiful, and it gave her no reason to be angry, which, of course, pissed her off.

He turns around with the most hopeful of expressions.

Her eyes roll at him. "... We need to talk about this."

Jessica logically justifies inviting him back into her apartment by telling herself that if he left now, he'd feel forced to commandeer someone else's living space like he used to. She had an easier time convincing herself that she was protecting someone else than she did admitting that she didn't actually want him to leave.

For Kilgrave, proving himself right was a great feeling. He manages not to smile _too_ widely as he passes her to come back in. "Thank you."

"Don't." She scowls, closing the door with a tight fist.

Doing what she would have done if he had left, she picks up her camera that she had dropped upon first seeing him. The screen was now cracked and it doesn't initially turn on. To herself, she sighs and sets it on her desk. It could still be salvaged later, but she would have liked to see what he described about last night for herself. Since that was a bust, she picks up the second camera that she had put in the bedroom. Quickly, she fast forwards until she sees both Kilgrave and her in the room together.

While she does this, Kilgrave lays his clothes on the back of a chair and sits across from her, observing her with intent. Being on thin ice, he figured it best not to speak until spoken to for now. He was going to ask what she was doing but could tell when she plays the audio aloud.

He was right about one thing. Jessica was out of her mind yesterday, and watching it back was like being in the Twilight Zone.

"_You didn't leave."_

"_I don't have anywhere else to be."_

"_Is the person you're in a relationship with going to be okay with the fact that you're sleeping with me?"_

"_We're not sleeping -"_

Jessica instinctively stops the playback, glaring in Kilgrave's direction. "'The person you're in a relationship with'?" She repeats in a higher tone, having missed a part of the conversation in the bathroom.

His mouth opens as he gapes at her, witnessing just a _hint_ of concern. "I said that so you'd stop trying to have sex with me."

There's no stopping the color that rises to her cheeks. This bodily reaction, again, only makes her angry. "Right." She mutters through clenched teeth, staring back down at the screen. She hastily plays the rest of the video.

" _\- together, we're sharing a bed. It's fine."_

"_If you say so... Say, mister. Are you going to tell me what today was about in the morning?"_

"_Sure."_

Like Kilgrave had said, they didn't have sex last night. Part of her was pleasantly surprised by his restraint, but she doesn't say that out loud.

As she fast forwards through their sleep to be absolutely sure, she moves on with what she was unavoidably thinking about. "You said that the women who were messing with me were brought back to life too, right?"

"Yes." Kilgrave shrugs, unintentionally scowling as he remembers them. This wasn't what he wanted to be talking about.

"And they went rogue, because…?" She asks next, pressing for him to answer.

He sighs this time. "I don't know. I didn't bother asking. I told you, I hate being in the same room as Zayden."

It was only her instincts as a P.I. to keep asking questions she didn't know the answer to. "What else do you know about him?"

Now, he groans. "Are you going to keep interrogating me?" This came with the realization that when she said they needed to talk, it wasn't going to be about their relationship.

She shoots him a glare. "Do you wanna be here or not?" His silent pout is answer enough. "Great. So what else do you know about the guy who resurrected you?" She asks again, knowing he'd respond if he didn't want to be kicked out.

Holding in his complaints this time, he says, "Not much. They gave me access to a computer pretty early on, and I did what you would have done. I looked up everything I could find about him. There isn't much. He's not very well known or talked about." Figuring she really wanted to get into this now, he adds, "There was one other thing that I did find strange though. I remember reading that his father had something to do with the creation of ODMA in the guide they first gave me, but I couldn't find _anything_ on Zayden's family online."

Setting her camera down beside her, she opens up her laptop again, itching to get information of her own. The moment she starts searching for things without talking, Kilgrave knows he's lost her attention.

After several minutes of her not speaking to him, he sighs again. Eager to talk about themselves, he says what he knows will get her to listen and react. "My new name is David, by the way. David Hemlock." When she freezes, he grins.

Her first reaction with anyone else would be to question if they were serious or not. But knowing him well, she clenches her fist and looks over her screen at him. "They let you choose your alias and you pick my son's middle name? What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

"Well, that was when I thought he was _my_ son too. That way, you could say you named him after me." He shrugs and looks back, unapologetically. "It would have been a nice gesture if you hadn't fucked my clone." So much for being on thin on ice around her, or trying to be respectful at all.

"Can you stop giving me shit about that? I made a mistake, alright?!" Her fist nearly comes down on the desk but doesn't. She looks at her laptop again, too emotional to make eye contact.

Despite how defensive she was, Jessica had just admitted to making a mistake. It's not enough to make him completely okay with the outcome of her decision but he stares back with sympathy. Taking a chance, he opens mouth again. "Let me ask you something."

"What?" She utters, not having recovered from his incessant need to provoke her.

He doesn't wait for her head to lift to ask the one thing that had been on his mind. He would, of course, like to revisit the topic of Axel. But as it was clear by the way she was acting now, she still refused to give in to the idea that she had feelings for Kilgrave. That's why her answer to this was so important to him. "The day that I died… did you say it?"

She stiffens and stops from typing something else. When she does look at him, she waits to say anything.

Ensuring that she couldn't pretend like she didn't know what he meant, he adds, "The last thing I heard was the sound of my own voice." He laughs somewhat sadly, the same way he had that day. "I just wanted to hear you… but you hesitated."

The atmosphere in the room had shifted again. It was tense, pulsing with anxiety.

Her breathing wavers as she slowly mutters, "Why does it matter?"

"It matters to _me_." He breathes back. It was hard not to dwell on the slow, on-set, devastation he began to feel when he watched her pause all those years ago, right as the life faded from his eyes. It _hurt_.

She shakes her head and pushes the top of her laptop down slightly. "Even if I did say it, it wouldn't mean I meant it…"

While that was accurate, both of them seemed to know it's significance, either way.

"If that's true, then say it now." Kilgrave's voice stays quiet, to show that he wasn't commanding her this time. He was challenging her. "If it means nothing, then look me in the eyes and say it now."

Her eyes briefly close as she thinks back to the day _after_ he died. Those self-hating thoughts were not easily shaken. '_All you had to do was tell him when he was alive, Jessica. His __**dying**_ _wish and you didn't say it fast enough, Jessica. You're such a goddamn coward, Jessica. Running around the city rescuing people and you can't even handle your own emotions, Jessica. He asked you for __**one**_ _thing, and you failed, Jessica. Three goddamn words and you couldn't say them, Jessica.'_

Coming back to her now, she begins to feel sick to her stomach. Before she can tell him no, her thoughts intervene. _What happens if he dies again tomorrow, and there's no strange organization to bring him back? Would you go through the same mental anguish? Just fucking say it so you can stop hating yourself._

Kilgrave waits quite patiently for all this to run through her head. This time around, he wasn't in such a rush.

Without giving an explanation first, she turns and briskly walks to the kitchen. Opening one of the top cabinets that were out of Axel's reach, she grabs an unopened bottle of whiskey. By the time she comes back to face Kilgrave, she had already screwed the top off and was chugging it straight from the bottle.

He glances at the time. It was still before noon, but he wisely chooses not to comment on it. If this was what it took, then so be it.

She takes the drink down with such speed, that one could question if she breathed at all when she did. Nearly half the bottle was gone before she slams it down on the desk and sits down in the chair behind it.

Only with the consolation that this didn't have to _mean_ anything, she finally looks him directly in the eye and softly murmurs, "I love you."

*****_THREE WORDS_*****

Like her sister, Aura's powers came to her during puberty. She had always had trouble remembering things in the past. Small things, like what she had eaten for breakfast that morning, if she had homework to do and so on. But the awakening of her powers felt more like a curse than it did for Bliss. From that point on, her own memory was never right again. Every day, there was a new gap in her head. Some days she couldn't remember her own name. Some days she couldn't remember what ODMA was or the fact that she died once before. And on the days that Bliss dreaded, Aura didn't remember that their parents were dead. One thing she never seemed to forget was the love that her older sister had for her, which is why it was so painful to be separated from her.

The world was confusing. Aura knew her own weakness, which is why she stayed quiet so much. It was hard to trust people when she couldn't rely on her memory. Besides that, it didn't help that she couldn't touch other people outside the power dead-zone. Any direct skin contact would cause the other person to suffer the effects of her power. It was almost lucky that she was asexual.

Since she had woken up in Zayden's office, she thankfully remembered why they were there and the trouble they were in. She was immediately set at ease when rejoined with Bliss only minutes after being escorted away from them. But that ease didn't last after Bliss explained that they were staying in the Hall for the day.

Hours had passed and just like they spent a year doing, the two sat in a room, talking. The main difference was that this time, there was a guard posted outside the door.

Tears had dried on Aura's cheeks that she hadn't wiped away, peering at Bliss with those wide, unsettled eyes. "I don't want to be here…" She whispers, twisting the string of her hoodie in nervous habit.

"You said that." Bliss nearly snaps. She was tired of going in circles with this conversation.

Aura's head drops between her shoulders in recognition of defeat. Her eyes turn to the floor.

Disagreeing with her sister without making her feel small was a hard task for Bliss to accomplish. Therefore, she sighs and slides closer. Since this was the only place Aura could take her gloves off without fear, Bliss pulls them both off for her and takes one of her hands between hers. Skin contact was even rarer since they left ODMA, so this was the first time in several weeks that they truly held hands. "Everything is gonna be okay. Waiting here for a little while is the right thing to do for now."

"I thought we were going to try to protect Jessica… you said _that_ was the right thing to do." She weakly replies, though she accepts her sister's touch with a level of gratitude.

"That was before the mind controller went psycho on us." Bliss scoffs at Kilgrave's overpowered ability. "I thought he might hear us out. But it's his own stupid fault for not listening in the first place."

"You were having sex with the woman he loves." Aura points out, keeping her voice quiet.

"I was having fun!" Bliss looks at her sister and laughs, playfully pushing on her shoulder. "We were going to check up on her like every other day and it got boring. I hate being bored, you know that!"

When Aura smiles back, it's out of nervousness. "I know." Her smile is the first to fade, trying to offer up old ideas. "We shouldn't give up though… We could tell the other Risens what Master Zayden does… like I said before. They shouldn't be left in the dark either."

"Half of them already know and I bet the other half don't even care!" Bliss declares, although she was only guessing. _She_ certainly cared when she first found out.

"Then we tell Kilgrave. We should try again…" Aura mutters. To other people, this was a gentle suggestion. But in terms of how she handled herself, this was Aura doing everything she could to protest.

Bliss huffs out a breath and crosses her legs on the bed. "That guy is dangerous. If he sees my face again he's gonna make me rip all my skin off or some crap." Taking both of her sister's hands, she squeezes them. "I told you about all the stuff he's done, right? Do you remember?"

That question was one that Aura was asked multiple times a day. This time, she was able to nod, wishing Bliss didn't have a point.

"Exactly. He's not really worth warning at this point. He's a jerk."

Aura counters by mumbling, "Jessica deserves saving…"

"Maybe." Bliss mumbles back. Ultimately, she shakes her head. "But like Master Zayden said. That really isn't our business…"

Aura wants to pull her hands away but doesn't. She should hate Zayden for what he's done, but she was incapable of feeling that strong of an emotion against someone. Instead, hearing her sister defer to his judgment over and over again like this, she felt hopeless.

Seeing that reflected in her expression, Bliss tries to lighten her mood. It was all she could do, thinking back on the way he had kissed her today, and the fact that he said he loved her. She does her best to sound cheerful. "Listen! I told you. When he comes to talk to us today, you can hear it from him. He'll explain everything."

"How can he justify any of this?" Aura is back to whispering.

This time, Bliss can't come up with an answer. Even then, she does everything she can to defend him, just like she used to. "I'm sure he has a reason…"

It wasn't hard to deduce what happened between Bliss and Zayden upon being reunited. Bliss was practically glowing from it. Aura was well aware of her sister's sex addiction, and so was Zayden. It wasn't clear that he was manipulating her, but the potential for it was there. This causes Aura to pause before saying, "Don't think with your vagina."

It was an inside joke between the two of them when they were teenagers, so Bliss giggles. "Shut up." This time, she lets go of her hands and lightly punches Aura's shoulder.

Aura smiles again and rubs where she was hit. Both of them knew she was only half-joking, however. The giggling doesn't last long and neither does Aura's smile.

* * *

Author's note:

Motherfucking hell, okay, I swear to god, I didn't _plan_ on making his name David! It was a cute nod as Axel's middle name at first, but then I realized how I didn't want Kilgrave to legally be known as Zebediah. '_Lady in rose'_ then pointed out that Kilgrave (being a bit of an asshole), would name himself after his son, to make it seem like his son was named after him… Props to her for thinking of that, because it's honestly such a Kilgrave-thing to do. Thus, he ends up with the name David. Don't judge me.

It's a minor detail, yes. But since I talk so fucking much in my notes, I figured I'd mention it! ;)

Hopefully, more next week!


	9. Reevaluation

_**Chapter Nine: Reevaluation**_

(Still) Day 2:

Hearing Jessica say those words was one thing. Of course, on one occasion, she said them to Kilgrave before. But hearing her say it _of her own free will_ was ultimately the goal. It was what drove him to kidnap her again once his powers gained more strength.

That night on the dock changed their lives. '_Look, after a while - however long this takes - I know… I __**know**_ _you'll feel what I feel.'_

Love. In her own, buried, perplexed kind of way. She would feel love.

Getting to know the real Jessica well, she did everything she could to hide those feelings. Even now, she would continually bring up the fact that saying it didn't mean it was true. Kilgrave was aware that she would deflect any real emotion from this point on with sarcasm or a snarky comment. But one thing was true of her in this instant. Her eyes weren't lying. Having the privilege of looking her in the eyes and _seeing_ her heart was a moment that he would surely never forget.

The beating in his chest can almost audible as he analyzes every detail surrounding this second, wanting to soak it in. His eyes glisten as he lets those three, long-awaited words, ring out in both of their ears. He'd love to kiss her again right now, but he doesn't get up or move at all. His hands were visibly shaking as he knew she wouldn't stand to be kissed again.

So instead, he stares at her and whispers back, "I love you too." There was no frustration in his tone like there was when he said it before they had sex. This time, he simply matches her level of sincerity.

She doesn't say anything in the seconds that follow and her sights stay fixed for an odd, uncharacteristic amount of time. Her grip on the neck of the whiskey bottle loosens as her gaze softens, seemingly stuck in a looped state of veracity.

That state doesn't last _too _long, however, and she finally pulls her eyes from his. As if slipping back into her own persona, she scoffs and brings the alcohol to her lips again. "Happy now?"

Though the image of derision was there, her tone was still fragile. Either way, he slowly smiles at her, knowing this defense mechanism. "Yes." He _was_ happy. For the first time since he was alive again.

It was a moment that was hard to move on from for Jessica, especially since the only other person in the room didn't _want_ to move on from it.

Luckily, there was no need for her to create a segway because the tension is cut through when there's the sound of a phone ringing. Relieved, Jessica looks to see if it was hers on the desk, but it wasn't.

Alternatively, Kilgrave groans as he immediately recognizes that it was coming from his jacket pocket that was hanging over his chair. His eyes roll as he turns and reaches for it. Before he even pulls it out, he knows who it will be.

When he looks at the screen, Jessica's interest peaks, "Who is that?"

"Shadow." He replies. Clearly irritated by the interruption, he prepares to send him straight to voicemail.

"Wait." She stops him, remembering the name from what Kilgrave had told her already. "You have to answer."

Scowling, he hovers his thumb over the 'end call' option. "Why?"

This was an opportunity. "Because he might have something to say that gives me a better idea of what's going on."

He groans again, but complies without being pushed, knowing that it would only irritate her further if he hung up. Automatically putting it on speaker, he answers by grumbling, "What?"

"_Hello, Kilgrave."_ Shadow's tone is as polite and relaxed as ever on the other end. "_Master Zayden was very pleased by your work, apprehending the Aura and Bliss. As per your contract, payment for the task will be made by the end of next week."_

"Great," Kilgrave mutters back, unenthusiastically. He stays looking down at the phone, waiting impatiently for the conversation to be over.

Shadow is obviously undisturbed by the Risen's succinct answer, as he had dealt with his attitude for a while now. "_By that account, did your intended reunion with Jessica go smoothly? I can only assume since I haven't heard from you."_

Kilgrave's eyes flick up to meet Jessica's again. Though she was listening intently, she looks back at him and rolls her eyes, waiting to see how he would respond. "'Smoothly' probably isn't the right word. But it was… successful." This time, he grins at her.

"_I'm glad to hear it."_ Shadow answers without missing a beat. There is a more significant pause before he adds, "_Master Zayden plans to ensure that the sisters don't bother either of you again, and he conveys his apologies for their behavior."_

Aware that this was just Shadow acting as a representative and Zayden sent no such apologies, Kilgrave scoffs, though not loud enough to be heard through the phone.

Shadow goes on, "_So that the incident is properly recorded, is there anything significant that you can remember about your exchange with Bliss, the older of the two?"_

Kilgrave raises his eyebrows, "My _exchange_ with her?"

There's another slight pause as he rewords this, "_Is there anything she did or said to you in an attempt to excuse her actions?"_

Recalling only last night, all he could be certain of was how angry he was seeing Bliss' head between Jessica's legs. Therefore, he answers as honestly as he can, "Not that I can think of."

The relieved smile can practically be heard in his voice as he begins to conclude. "_Okay. I only called to check up on you. If you would like to finalize arrangements to have your belongings moved out of the Hall to Jessica's apartment, or if there's anything else I can do for you, please don't hesitate to call."_

"Fine." He keeps his answer brief as he always did.

"_Goodbye."_

Kilgrave hadn't thought about it before he answered the phone, but Shadow could have mentioned the fact that they weren't kicking him out of his room; he had forfeited it. Thankfully, he didn't give that away, so Jessica wouldn't know that she had been lied to about that detail.

Upon hanging up, it's clear that she's thinking about something. In her temporary silence, he asks, "Well, Sherlock. What did you deduce from that conversation?"

Unappreciative of the nickname, she glares at him. There was much more on her mind as she picks apart everything that was said and each tonal inflection in her head, but she chooses to insult him in saying, "Shadow is a very patient man, having to deal with your bullshit."

And just like that, the previous moment between them had evaporated, due to the mere interruption of a phone call, much to Jessica's relief and Kilgrave's chagrin.

He huffs out what's almost as laugh, but doesn't quite get there. "My bullshit? I'm not sure what you mean."

"Right." She smirks to herself as she pushes the top of her laptop back up. Providing more of a real answer, she says, "Something about all of this just doesn't feel right to me."

"You're telling me." Kilgrave exhales, though he was thinking about it less than her at the moment. His thoughts drift to minutes ago as he replays it in his head, ensuring that he captured every aspect he could savor from it.

There were a lot of pieces of this puzzle that she would like to work out today. What ODMA _actually_ does. How Zayden came to be in charge of a division. Who the so-called 'sisters' were and why they stopped working for Zayden. And more importantly, how an organization she's never heard of came to acquire the technology to bring people back from the dead.

Kilgrave had other things on his mind, so again, she doesn't get far. "Now what?"

Her eyebrow raises but she doesn't look away from the screen. "Now, you sit there silently while I get answers."

Seeing as less than five minutes ago, she had just said she loved him, he lets himself feel inebriated by that fact. Therefore, he tests his luck when he pushes her laptop down as he had before. "What's the plan? I know you're thinking about it. Are you going to let me stay?"

She _was_ thinking about it. It was floating around in the back of her mind. Becoming increasingly irritated by him cutting off her research, she forces her laptop back open so that she didn't have to look him in the eyes. "How is this supposed to work? You can't just stay here…"

"Why not?" He tilts his head. She wasn't the only one who had been thinking. "The answer is simple. You tell Axel I'm his father, and we live together as one big, happy, bullshit family." He repeats the phrase she had used earlier, but his tone had changed. He was more serious again, reflecting his thoughts on what should have been his son.

"You're not. His. Father." She snarls through clenched teeth, unsure how to make the point any clearer.

"But I might as well be." He responds with the same effect she had. "You _know_ that." Just because the genetics didn't line up perfectly didn't mean he was going to give up that easily.

"The only thing I _know_ is how fucked up this situation is!" This time, she slams her own laptop shut, practically breaking it in the process. She has to take a breath before saying, "Even if I did let you stay, for god knows what reason, what am I supposed to tell Trish? 'Kilgrave's back from the dead and he's living with me, I hope you're okay with that'." She imitates herself, scoffing at the idea. "If you expect me to push her out of my life for you, then you don't know me at all."

Recognizing that this was going to be an issue, he had already conceived the solution. "Don't worry. I know how to deal with Patsy."

Those words make Jessica shoot daggers at him with her eyes. If 'deal with' meant what it had in the past, she would kill him for real.

"It's not what you think." Having no intention of doing what that phrase implied, Kilgrave laughs, "It's actually very simple. I'll just erase her memory of me."

But his answer was not better. Remembering very vividly the times he had messed with her memory in the past and how that didn't work out well for anyone, she growls, "Are you insane?! Do you know how much of our history you'll just be wiping out? She'll turn into a completely different person."

"Relax, darling." He purrs a little, knowing that that's how she would react. But his complete idea is made known when he says, "I wouldn't be erasing _all_ her memories of me. It'd just tell her to forget what I look and sound like."

This makes Jessica actually stop and analyze the logistics of this.

"That way, she'd keep all her… _delightful_ memories of me, she just wouldn't recognize me. Then, I could reintroduce myself as Hemlock and she wouldn't be the wiser."

That might actually work. In contemplating this, she stays silent.

He takes this opportunity to smugly add, "Then, you'll tell her how we're dating and the rest will solve itself."

This is something she's quick to respond to. "We're not dating and we never will be."

Grinning, he puts his elbows on the desk and leans closer to her. She was remarkably deep in her refusal to be with him and he can't hide his amusement by that fact. Literally _minutes_ ago, she had confessed her feelings with minimal prompting, and now she wouldn't even admit that they were essentially a couple. It makes him laugh as he hums and says to her, "You love me, Jessica Jones." Her frustrated expression only encourages him, being able to declare that as a fact for the first time in his life.

Her muscles tense and she can't help but feel like she was being mocked. "I said that to humor you." She states dishonestly.

Unwilling to play along with her anymore, his gaze shifts to her lips. "You love me." He repeats, quieter, but more confident.

Reaching across the desk, she grabs him by the shirt and yanks him closer so she can growl at him. "Say that again and I'll rip your tongue out." Him teasing her about her emotions was not something that amused her.

More aroused than intimidated, he licks his lips and whispers this time, just to test her. "You _love_ me."

Twisting his shirt in her hands, she contemplates hitting him. He certainly deserved it. But the way he was looking at her makes her aware of their closeness and in response, she shoves him backward. The force she uses nearly knocks his chair over, and he barely manages to regain his balance. "You're an asshole."

She was reverting to basic insults, versus actively dismissing her emotions. Progress might have been an overstatement, but it doesn't go unnoticed by Kilgrave. After setting his chair back on all four legs, he watches her with pure adoration. Her calling him an asshole was just one of those habits that never went away, no matter how much she actually cared about him. "Some things never change, Jessica."

Since the bottle wasn't closed, she rapidly takes down another quarter of the whiskey, feeling like she needed it to get through the rest of the day. This prompts her to say, "I need to sleep on it. So if you can shut up when I tell you to, you can stay for tonight. Piss me off and I'll throw you out."

"Fair enough." He smirks, sitting back in a more relaxed position. Tonight was all he needed to convince her to let him stay permanently. With one foot in the door, his position by her side was practically going to be handed to him.

Aware that there had to be ground rules and conditions for this one night, she sternly adds, "When Axel comes back, you do _not_ speak to him or Trish. Do you understand?"

Figuring now was the time to be obedient, he nods. "Yes, ma'am."

*****_REEVALUATION_*****

Shadow had informed Zayden that, as he hoped, Bliss was unsuccessful in her attempt to warn Kilgrave of his true endgame. That was a relief.

If there was one word to describe Zayden that no one would initially believe, it was _patient_. Yes, despite his temper and how quick he was to snap at people, he was an extremely patient man when it came to getting what he wanted. He had waited years for this after all. And he'll be damned if he was going to let two girls stop him when he was only a few months away.

So as to not appear intimidating, he didn't invite the sisters to his office for their talk with him, he merely went to their room. Naturally, he had Bliss sit on the bed next to him and Aura sit in a chair across from him. This deliberate action made it easy to lay his hand on Bliss' thigh without it seeming blatant. His fingers slowly brushed against her leg as he talked and his touch causes visible goosebumps to rise on her skin. In her case, he could have been speaking gibberish and she probably wouldn't have noticed.

He had Bliss under his boot now. All that was left was to sleep with her tonight to ensure that she wasn't going anywhere. In the coming weeks, he'd keep her incredibly close to him to reaffirm her loyalty and give her a sense of power by his side like they once had together. After that, she was likely to forget about her parents and this whole mess with Jessica.

The real problem was Aura. It was extremely rare that Aura ever had an independent view from her sister. But as Zayden gave his well-thought-out explantation, Aura didn't seem like she was buying it. It wasn't unusual for her to avoid eye contact, but there was defiance in her slumped posture.

His eyes narrow ever so slightly as he begins to his conclusion. "I'm sorry I had to pull your certificates but you left me no choice. I can't imagine what you two have been through in the past few weeks." Stopping mid-stroke up Bliss' pants, he reaches out for her hand with his. "Where have you been staying?" He asks gently as Bliss places her hand in his.

Bliss' eyelids flutter as she watches him brush over her knuckles with his thumb. Aura doesn't look up, as she correctly assumes that her sister would answer. "There's umm… there's a motel on the east-side. It's a long-standing establishment for prostitutes… and so... they've been pretty good at turning cops away…"

Aura shudders as she recounts the copious number of times that her and her sister were mistaken for prostitutes when they were simply trying to go to sleep for the night. Bliss would always offer herself up to protect her sister and their cover story. But sex addict or not, there were some things and some _people_ that were more than demeaning to do.

"That's no way to live." Zayden sighs, appearing sympathetic, "You should stay in the Hall. We can have someone bring you your things. Then, in a few days, we can reevaluate your situation." As if to be benevolent, he adds, "I'm sure we can find a way to make some better arrangements and reinstate your identification."

Bliss is the first to agree. "I think that's best…" It may have looked selfish, but besides her rekindled desire for Zayden, she said this with Aura in mind. In spite of everything, Zayden has shown no intention of hurting Bliss or her sister and she knew how miserable Aura was in the past weeks. On top of what they had learned, Aura was terrified every moment they spent on the streets. At least here she was actually safe and could sleep with both eyes closed.

Or so Bliss thought…

Aura answers with a single mutter, "Okay."

It goes unnoticed, but Zayden eyes her piercingly. "Good." He's sure to keep his tone light, however. "I hope this discussion helped you understand what I'm fighting for." Before he stands up to leave, he leans to the side and kisses Bliss on the cheek. Where only she could hear, he whispers to her, "Meet me in my office at eleven tonight."

When his hand slips from hers, Bliss presses her legs together and swoons.


	10. Suggestive

_**Chapter Ten: Suggestive**_

(Still) Day 2:

To Jessica's displeasure, she and Kilgrave had a multitude of other conversation throughout the day. A lot of it had to do with what she had been doing for the past six years without him. How she and Victor had to deliver his body to the morgue, how she returned to be questioned by the police, and how she went on to restart Alias Investigations after giving birth.

When there's a slowdown in their discussion, Kilgrave takes this as an opportunity. He made sure to cushion their chat with a few lighter topics before he asks something he knew she wouldn't want to answer. "How many men have you been with since?"

The dead expression she gives him shows her unwillingness before her mouth even opens. "Don't go there."

He attempts to play it off innocently, but he fails in doing so because of his pressing tone. "I'm just curious."

"Just curious my ass." She scolds, knowing that if she even tried to give a real number as a response, he wouldn't like it.

Instead of pushing for a calculation, he asks the much more important follow-up question. "Did you ever have a long term relationship with any of them?"

The truth was, Kilgrave's world would have shattered if he had come back from the grave and Jessica was in a real relationship with someone else. It wouldn't be anyone's fault for falling in love with her in that amount of time, but even now, Kilgrave questioned whether or not he would have enough restraint _not_ to kill that man. And if he did, his standing with Jessica would be drastically different.

This time, she sighs. If was going to keep bothering her about it, she might as well respond. Especially if the truth was exactly what he wanted to hear. "No."

His eyes practically light up. "Really?"

"Don't act so proud. I just wanted my focus to be on Axel." Not wanting to provide any other details about this, she rolls her eyes and goes back to looking at her laptop.

More time passed and it was close to nine at night when Trish finally called Jessica since she hadn't heard a word from her sister in hours. By the time her phone rings, she barely got to do any real investigating like she had waited for all day.

"Goddamnit…" She mutters as she sees Trish calling and looks at the time for the first time in several hours.

Kilgrave, who was now on the sofa, snacking on something he had found in the kitchen, looks up with curiosity.

The glare she gives him indicates that it was in his best interest to stay silent. When she answers the phone, she does her best to hide how exhausted she was. "Hey…"

"_Hey,"_ Trish says on the other end, obviously still concerned. "_Everything okay?"_ In the background, one of Axel's favorite shows can be heard playing. It gets quieter in the distance as she presumably walks to a separate room so he couldn't hear. "_Axel told me there was a guy in your apartment this morning…"_

_Shit_. Jessica thinks to herself, dragging her hand down her face. Having thought of a vague description of the issue to tell Trish, but needing time to work this mystery man into her story, she slowly responds, "I'll tell you when you get here."

"_You want me to bring him back for tonight?" _She questions, though she was quick to add, "_He is getting a little tired, and I know he doesn't wanna spend the night here. He gets anxious without you…"_

Jessica's eyes Kilgrave who smiles back. Taking a slow breath, she turns her gaze and says, "Yeah, I know. You can bring him back now."

"_Alright. We'll start packing up."_

Before the call ends, another voice can be heard, very quietly in the background of the call. "_Is that Jessica?"_

Jessica's eyes narrow. "Is Malcolm there with you?!"

She could hear the scowl in Trish's tone as she presumably scolds him. "_Uh, yeah. He got worried when you didn't come in today so he called me."_

Her eyes roll at the pathetic attempt to explain away their obvious relationship. "Yeah, and then you invited him over. That makes sense." She mutters sarcastically, hoping that her son didn't have to witness the sexual tension between his aunt and Malcolm.

"_Well, he wanted to see Axel since __**you **__never let him come over!"_ Trish is quick to get defensive.

Jessica scoffs, not willing to get into an argument in front of Kilgrave. "Whatever. Just bring Axel back."

"_We'll be there in twenty."_ She responds with the same attitude.

After she hangs up, Kilgrave tilts his head, "You know, I could just do the memory-erasing now, so we can get it over with. I'd love to talk to Patsy again." He grins, probably not being serious enough about the situation.

"If you breathe a word to her tonight, you will regret it." She says, lacking his jovial attitude. Standing up, she grabs the extra pieces of his clothes from his chair and throws them back in her bedroom. Next, she marches over to the sofa and pulls him to his feet by his shirt. Getting that this was his cue, she doesn't have to drag him to the bedroom as he walks on his own. Lightly pushing him inside, she warns him. "Don't make a sound, and don't open this door."

He puts his hands up to show surrender, attempting to be agreeable again. "Fine."

She considered ripping off the doorknob on the inside of the room to keep him locked inside, but upon second thought, more damage to her apartment was not something she wanted to deal with later on. With that, she slams the door shut.

In the moments that led up to Axel and Trish's arrival, Jessica did her best to prepare for them, which included laying Axel's pajamas out on his bed and removing the empty bottle of booze from sight. Sure… she was a little drunk. Not that anyone else could really tell.

When the front door opens, Axel charges at his mother. Jessica crouches down and catches him in her arms, instantly beaming from the tight hug he gave her. "Hey, kid." Gently rubbing his back for a second, she pulls away so she can look at him. "How was your day?"

His facial features appeared tired, but he was excited to talk about what they had done. Before saying anything, he looks back at his aunt, who was a few steps behind. He smiles at her, then turns to his mom again, bouncing up and down when he starts, "We went to the parks, and then to… we had ice cream after lunch! And then Aunt Trish took me to the mall and she let me get whatever new toys I wanted!"

Jessica laughs, watching him, then glances at her sister. He was like an automatic stress relief for her. Still smiling, she playfully shakes her head. "Ice cream _and_ new toys? I told her to stop spoiling you!"

"I'm not spoiling you, am I, Axel?" Trish smiles back at the both of them, setting his bag down on the floor by the door. "We got a perfectly reasonable amount of toys and ice cream. It's not like we got double scoops or anything." She winks at her nephew and he instantly giggles, giving away their poorly hidden secret.

"Right!" He agrees, his cheeks turning a rose color.

"Mhm. Well, I'm going to have to have a chat with your aunt about your sugar levels." Jessica laughs again. Standing up straight, she gently nudges Axel towards his room. "Go get ready for bed and I'll be there to tuck you in in a minute."

"Okay." Turning to Trish first, he runs up and gives her a quick hug around the waist. "Bye, Aunt Trish!"

"Bye, kiddo." She chuckles as she watches him speed off to his room without protest.

The smile on Jessica's face doesn't last as she follows him and makes sure his door is closed. Her eyes shift to her bedroom door next, before she ultimately decides, "Let's talk outside."

Trish's demeanor mimics hers, as she follows Jessica out the front door. They walk to the other side of the hallway, and despite her worry, Trish waits to speak.

Even at the distance away from her apartment they were, Jessica keeps her voice down as she gives her pre-determined account for what was going on. "Yes, there's a guy in my room right now."

Normally, the prospect that Jessica might be giving a man a chance at having a relationship with her would excite Trish. But this evidently felt much more ominous. Her eyes shift around and the first thing she asks is, "Is he dangerous?"

Honestly, yes. However, she knew Trish's inquiry was about whether or not his presence was threatening to her or Axel. Knowing Kilgrave would never hurt either of them, she answers, "No. But he needs my help and place to stay for a few days."

This obviously made Trish uncomfortable, but she goes with it. "Who is he?"

Shaking her head, Jessica replies as vaguely as possible. "He's a client."

"Okay…" Hearing that he was a client, she thinks back to her time with Malcolm today. "Does Malcolm know about him?"

Jessica sucks the air threw her teeth, "No, he doesn't." The glare she gives Trish shows her suspicions about their relationship. "And let's keep it that way for a while."

"Okay…" Trish says again, frowning. Her sister was capable of making her own decisions, and it was clear that Jessica was intentionally being tight-lipped about the details. Therefore, she asks her last question, "Should I be worried?"

Jessica sighs. Again, honestly, yes. Yet with all the confidence she could muster, she responds, "We'll be okay."

Not at all convinced, Trish sighs back. "You know you can talk to me, right? About anything."

"I know." Jessica nods, knowing she meant well. Unfortunately, this was pretty much the only thing she _couldn't _talk to her about.

"And I can take Axel whenever you need me to. It's really not a problem." Trish continues to offer her time to be helpful, unsure of what else could aid her.

"I know." She repeats, forcing a smile. "Thank you." With nothing else to say on the matter, Jessica briefly wraps her arms around Trish and doesn't give her a chance to embrace her back before she was drawing away. "I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Alright." Trish continues to frown and she clutches her purse. "Jess? Please be careful." She says as she heads toward the elevator.

"Yeah…" Jessica mutters as she watches her leave. Once she's alone, she takes a few deep breaths and makes her way back to her apartment.

What she sees inside makes her lose it. Both bedroom doors were open.

Axel, now dressed in his pajamas, had wandered out of his room to retrieve his new toys out of the bag Trish had set down. Holding up the small dog action figures, he explains, "So… this one's Skye. She's my favorite in the show."

"And who's this?" Kilgrave, crouching in front of Axel, gestures to the other spotted dog in his hand, appearing to be listening with interest.

"This is Marshall." Axel smiles as he waves the toy around.

"But you still like Skye better?" Kilgrave's head tilts, a gentle, genuine smile reflecting back on him.

"Yes, sir!" Nodding to show his enthusiasm, Axel attempts to hand one of the toys over to the man.

Well aware that the door had opened, Kilgrave purposely makes eye contact with Jessica as he says, "You can call me Daddy." It was done to spite her. It certainly looked like that, anyway.

That was a suggestive command. Therefore, Axel nods again, his eyes twinkling, "Okay, Daddy." When the meaning of this stranger's new name dawns on Axel, his head flops to the side, practically mirroring Kilgrave.

The sight had temporarily stunned Jessica. The _audacity_. When she actually does move, she moves with speed, not giving Kilgrave a chance to say any more. So that she wouldn't make the mistake of yelling at her son again like she had this morning since he hadn't done anything wrong, she simply bends down and picks him up, sitting him on her hip. In one swoop, she takes him and his toys to his room and sets them down on his bed.

She was trembling. But with the evenest tone she can provide, she tells Axel. "Stay here."

By her suddenly intervening and the way she spoke to him, Axel was left more confused than upset. "Okay." He answers, watching her leave and lightly close the door behind her. Instead of examining the new toys in his collection, he stays silently attentive.

When Kilgrave sees her again, he stands up. His smile indicated that he hadn't realized the magnitude of his mistake yet. "Give me a chance with him, Jessica. Did you see us together? I could -"

Cutting him off, she throws him up against the wall opposite of Axel's room. There's hardly a chance for him to take a breath before her hand was on his throat and she was squeezing. There was nothing funny about this to her.

Her eyes burn through his once smug expression as she begins to growl. "I dare you to use your powers on him again."

If her tone wasn't serious enough, the fact that Kilgrave couldn't breathe was doing a good job getting her point across. He gasps and puts both of his hands on her arm, trying to push her back as mere survival instinct had kicked in.

But she wasn't done so she doesn't move. "I _dare _you to speak to him again without my permission." When she places emphasis, she slides her one hand upward and lifts Kilgrave up the wall.

With his feet _barely _touching the ground, he wheezes. He pushes against her to no avail for another few panicked seconds before his hands start slipping off her arm. His face floods red as his eyelids begin to flutter and it's evident that he was beginning to lose consciousness.

Still trembling with anger, she doesn't let up just yet. "I _fucking_ dare you."

This was no empty warning, like saying she'd rip his tongue out for taunting her. Breaking her rules about Axel was something she would not play with.

Once she's satisfied enough with teaching Kilgrave this lesson, she lets go and drops him completely. But upon crumbling to the ground, he doesn't sit up and cough like she expected him to. Rather, he simply collapses onto his side and lays there, his eyes closed.

"Shit." She mutters to herself and quickly kneels down next to him. When she takes his pulse and finds that his heart is still beating, she lets out a breath of relief. She hadn't intended to choke him long enough for him to pass out like this…

The good news was, she wouldn't have to hear anything else from him tonight, and he wasn't likely to make the same mistake again.

Groaning, nevertheless, Jessica throws his limp body over her shoulder and carries him to her bedroom.

Despite what she had just done, she lays him down on the bed with a touch of gentleness. Propping his head up with a pillow to make sure he was breathing right, she debates whether or not to leave him in his clothes. But the thought of undressing him makes her question her own intentions… The asshole would be fine stuck in his clothes for a little while. Besides, he wasn't likely to stay knocked out for very long.

She takes an extra pillow for herself, before leaving him there, closing the door on her way out. Instead of taking any chances again, she drags one of her chairs over and kicks it underneath the doorknob, ensuring that it couldn't open from the inside.

On her way back to Axel's room, she sets the pillow down on the couch.

Axel had laid down under his covers and appeared more awake now than he was ten minutes ago. He was peering at his mother as she entered his room, clearly waiting to ask a question.

"Hey, sorry about that." Jessica mumbles to him as she sits on the edge of the bed. She had no idea how to explain any of this.

He blinks at her, his young mind unable to properly read her expression. "He said I could call him Daddy." He mutters back. "Is he _my_ daddy?" As he says this, his eyes spark with hope and unintentional excitement.

This was exactly what she was hoping he wouldn't ask. Especially not with such enthusiasm. Trying to think this through, she shakes her head. "I… he's gonna be staying with us for a couple of days. Are you okay with that?"

Axel quickly nods. But it doesn't go unnoticed that she hadn't answered his original question. Maybe she didn't hear him, so he asks again. "Is he my dad?"

It was impossible to answer this directly. Jessica knew that. She thinks of responding with her own question; 'do you want him to be?' But his reply would certainly be yes. Of course he wanted him to be. Meeting his father was one thing Axel fantasized about more than anything.

Now, both Kilgrave and Axel wanted this to be a reality, and she was the only one standing between them. She had good reason, given Kilgrave's track record, on top of the fact that she had never seen any real parental qualities in him. But to be fair, _she_ didn't really have those qualities either before giving birth, until push came to shove.

No matter what, she couldn't give Axel false hope. She couldn't crush his dreams either. Therefore, she says, "We'll have to talk about it later."

"Why can't we talk about it now?" He presses, eager for the answer.

"Because Mommy has work to do." She states, forcing a soft smile, as she tucks the edges of his blanket under him.

He pouts and wiggles a little to get comfortable. "Okay… but I can still call him Daddy?"

Unsure of whether or not her telling him no would be enough to undo a suggestive command, Jessica sighs. "If you want to." For good measure, she adds, "But I don't want you talking to him when I'm not around. And stay in your room until I come get you in the morning, got it?"

That seemed to be enough to satisfy him for now because he stops pouting. "Got it."

Leaning down, she gives him a quick kiss on the forehead. "Goodnight." As she stands up, she turns his light off.

"Goodnight." He whispers, nuzzling up against his pillow.

With that, she leaves him and goes straight to her computer. It was time to get some answers of her own.

* * *

Author's note:

If you guessed that the last two chapters were originally one, you'd be correct. I was going to have all this in chapter 9, but it got absurdly lengthy. Jesus, day 2 was a long one.

Anyway, there's so much more of this story to be told. What's the long game Zayden is playing at? How does the sisters' history tie in? And last but not least, will Kilgrave win over Jessica as a father figure?


	11. Language Lesson

_**Chapter Eleven: Language Lesson**_

Day 3:

Jessica startles awake earlier than normal. Sunday mornings were supposed to be relaxed for the most part. But not today.

She was laying on the couch with her laptop on the floor next to her. As everything that happened yesterday comes flooding back, she instantly turns to look at the bedroom door, still shut with the chair underneath the knob.

"Jesus, shit." Stiff from wearing her clothes all night, she groans and brushes back her messy hair. As she quietly stands up, she mentally prepares herself to see him again.

Moving the chair, she pulls the door open and looks inside.

Kilgrave, already awake, only wearing his pants, was standing up and looking in her closet. The moment he hears her, he turns and their eyes meet, causing him to raise his eyebrow.

Naturally, she instantly slams the door back shut. The pace of her breathing quickens and she squeezes her eyes closed.

Would this ever stop feeling like a dream?

On the other side of the door, Kilgrave whines, sounding hoarse from yesterday's choking, "Jessica…" He stretches her name out for an absurd about of time, making her able to hear the pouting in his voice. "Jessica… open the door." He's quick to try and push it open again like he had tried multiple times during the night. But she still had a hold on the doorknob and prevents it from turning. Now, he was just pawing at the door like a sad puppy.

Him saying her name that way makes the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Slowly, she loosens her grip and opens the door to face him.

Getting herself back on track, she mutters to him. "Are you going to take me seriously now?"

He looks her up and down and sighs before rubbing the front of his neck. "I feel like I should, considering you nearly killed me yesterday." It was hard to tell if he was angry, sad, or just hurt by her reaction.

"You did exactly what I told you not to." She growls, not backing down that easily.

Instead of barking back, 'Can you blame me?', he sighs and bites his tongue. There's a pause before he says, "I just want to get to know him." He shrugs, presenting himself innocently.

"On _my_ terms." Using one finger, she pushes him backward a little, with force but without aggression.

He looks down at her hand and tilts his head. "So you will give me a chance?"

"Yesterday, you misled him to believe you were his dad." Taking her hand down, she clenches her jaw. "You just got here and you're already running out of chances."

His smile is gradual and gentle. "I can do better…"

Before saying anything, she steps into the room all the way, having noticed that some things had been moved. She squints at him, skeptically. "What were you doing in here?"

"Snooping." The smile on his face morphs into a grin, being surprisingly honest. "You choked me out and then locked me in all night, I got bored."

"Whatever. You deserved it." She only scowls, thinking of nothing in her room that she wanted to keep hidden from him. Nothing until she takes another look at the closet. There was a black duffle bag that she normally kept shoved in the very back, buried under other boxes and clothes. But now it was pulled out towards the bed, open.

Behind Kilgrave, laying on the bed was a purple suit jacket and tie. The jacket and tie he wore to Jessica's apartment a few nights ago were still on the floor, however. Turning around, he picks up the clothes that were now wrinkled and quite worn down. He studies her behavior closely when he presents them to her and says slowly, "I found this in your closet."

There were two suits that Kilgrave had when they moved into an apartment in London together. One that he took with him after they left the hotel, and one that they bought when they went to the casino. The former ultimately fell with Eden. The latter was left behind when he died… the one he held in his hands.

Jessica blinks hard before she snatches both pieces from him. "Don't go through my shit." She mutters, her cheeks red with frustration as she bends down and shoves the clothes back into the duffle bag.

As she kicks the bag back into the closet, he sighs. This would have been an easy moment for him to be prideful and arrogant, but alternately, he puts himself in her shoes and sits on the edge of the bed to look up at her. She wasn't going to acknowledge this, so he would have a heart-to-heart with himself if it made her feel better. "You know, Jessica, if it was you that died, I never would have gotten over you." He starts, and she stands up straight but doesn't face him. "Watching you die would've broken me. I would have held onto everything you owned and saved everything of mine that you ever touched just to feel near you again." In reality, Kilgrave likely wouldn't want to continue living if it had been Jessica that died. Not that he would say any of this aloud. "And eventually, there'd be other women I'd sleep with, sure. But I would never stop loving you. Not for a second.

"Maybe that's an unhealthy inability to move on, or maybe that's just how I bloody feel. And I have a right to my emotions, no matter what people expect of me." He closes with more sobriety than ever, keeping a fair distance from her this time so show he wasn't trying to be manipulative. "You get that, right?"

Her muscles had clenched, but she hadn't moved. If anything, his ability to show sympathy and tap into her sensitivity was daunting. Keeping her eyes on the floor, she quietly mutters, "Yeah…" Just like that, she dismisses herself, turning her back to him completely. Lacking the frustration she had a minute ago, she says, "Stay here while I check on Axel."

This time, he stays sitting and does as she says without her having to block the door with a chair.

In the moments that pass as he waits for her, he finishes setting up his plans with Shadow that he had started earlier this morning over the phone. About thirty minutes go by before the bedroom door is opened and Jessica steps inside to close them in together once again.

Her tired expression makes Kilgrave raise his eyebrows in question. "Is he awake?"

"He's in the bathroom now." She sighs, crossing her arms.

He nods, slowly. Just so they were on the same page, he promptly says, "Sometime today, I'm going to pick up my things from the Hall. I've already made arrangements."

She groans, somewhat under her breath, realizing that this would solidify the fact that he was moving in. "Fine." Pulling out her phone from her back pocket, she sends a long text before looking back up at him. Her next sentence hurries out with a sense of resentment. "I'm about to make breakfast for Axel, so -"

"_You_ plan to cook something?" Kilgrave smirks with inappropriate delight, only to be shot down with an unamused glare. "Sorry. Certainly, your cooking skills have improved over the years." Putting his hands up, he bites back a laugh. "Go on."

"Keep it up and you'll get nothing." She quietly barks, sliding her phone back into her pocket.

"Is this your way of inviting me to breakfast?" He asks, only partially serious about the notion. But her hesitation to slash through the idea makes him sit up straighter with hope. "You'll let me eat with both of you…?"

Without saying yes, she lays out her conditions. "You will not say anything to him even related to his father. If he asks you about it, you will avoid the question. In fact, you will avoid all topics having to do with your identity or why you're here. If you say _anything_ that I don't want you to, we will have a repeat of yesterday and I might not stop when you're unconscious. Do you understand?"

Although he could have done without the threatening ending, he begins to smile. This was going to be their first time sitting down together as a family. "I understand."

"Don't fuck this up." She growls through her teeth, then opens the door again. Axel was now dressed, silently sitting behind her desk, coloring on a blank sheet of paper. Keeping her voice down, she says to Kilgrave, "Go take a shower. And bring your goddamn clothes."

The smile doesn't leave his face as he grabs his trousers and shirt, standing up to leave the bedroom for the first time in a number of hours. The moment he walks past her, Axel looks up.

Clutching a crayon in one hand, Axel waves at Kilgrave with the other. "Good morning, Daddy."

Jessica grinds her teeth and stares at Kilgrave with an intense gaze to see how he would react.

"Good morning, Axel." His facial features soften considerably as he slowly waves back. Before moving on, he glances at Jessica over his shoulder. "You don't have to call me Daddy if you don't want to." He corrects his mistake from yesterday, causing Jessica to loosen up a little.

But Axel is quick to shrug. "That's okay." He says, politely indicating that he was going to continue doing so, despite the command being reversed.

The way Kilgrave's eyes light up makes Jessica roll hers and she shoves him in the direction of the bathroom.

He stumbles but doesn't lose the sparkle in his eye. Once in the bathroom, he does as he would have done anyway, if he hadn't been instructed to and takes a fast shower, dressing in old clothes once again.

Upon exiting, he finds Axel still coloring at the desk and Jessica in the kitchen. The sound of sizzling meat jumps from the stove, but she heard him coming anyway. Immediately, she turns around and calls to him. "Get in here and help me."

Axel doesn't look up as Kilgrave makes his way to her.

There was a plate of scrambled eggs sitting on the counter next to her, still steaming and she flips the few sausages in the pan to let the other side cook.

Watching her makes him smirk as he remembers the scarce times he had ever seen her in the kitchen like this. "What do you need me to do?" He asks, doing his best to keep the mockery from his tone.

"Nothing." She keeps her volume low. "I don't want you in there alone with him." She mutters, showing her distrust of him which was well-earned.

He groans and leans against the counter, turning in Axel's direction. "I should have figured, considering not even you, Jessica Jones, can ruin eggs and sausage."

"Talking shit about my cooking is going to get you nowhere." Growling, she turns off the stove and lets it crackle a few more times as the heat disperses.

Figuring he could be helpful anyway, he opens up a couple of cabinets to find the extra plates, which he does, then divides the eggs into appropriate proportions for the three of them. "There's really no need to be defensive, darling." As she rolls her eyes and splits up the sausage as well, he leans towards her and gives her a quick kiss on the cheek, testing the boundaries of their newly discovered relationship.

Setting down the hot pan, the first thing Jessica does is turn to see if Axel had seen that. Luckily, he showed no signs of paying attention to them at all. Therefore, she whips back around and rams her fist into Kilgrave's arm. "_Don't_ touch me in front of him." She snaps one of the rules she should have mentioned before in the bedroom. That kind of behavior was only going to give Axel more of the wrong ideas.

"Oww!" Seeing as that genuinely hurt, Kilgrave whimpers and covers his now sore arm. "You know, you don't have to be physically violent every time you want to tell me something!" He whisper-yells, beginning to sulk.

She says nothing as she grabs the plates and silverware intended for herself and Axel before making her way over to him. "Here you go. Put your coloring away while you eat."

Axel pushes his drawing to the side and looks at his food hungrily. "Thanks, Mommy." He says respectfully, picking up his fork. Just as he was about to eat, he stops and looks up. As he was told a few times before by his aunt, it was impolite to start eating before everyone else was seated.

Jessica pulls her chair up and sits across from him when she notices his pause. She sighs quietly and looks over at Kilgrave.

Seeing that he was being waited on, he smiles and drags the spare chair up to the desk to sit down next to Jessica.

She holds back a groan but is glad to see that Axel had started eating, and she follows suit.

If they had been alone, Kilgrave would've made another smart-ass remark about her cooking, but he holds his tongue and eats as well, grateful to have something more substantial than dry, boxed food like he was given yesterday.

There isn't much time for the silence to become awkward, because Axel is the first to start some sort of conversation. The question he asks felt random and lacked context, but he had been thinking about it for a few minutes. "Do you like pancakes or waffles better?"

Kilgrave raises his eyebrow and glances at Jessica through the corner of his eye. "Eh…"

"'Cause your answer is super important." Axel mutters, a little shy. Pushing the hair up, he says, "Waffles are better, but Mommy doesn't make them good since she broke the machine. So you have to be okay with pancakes if you're goings to have sleepovers here."

Jessica chokes on a bite of her food for a second and she looks down at her plate as she coughs.

The grin on Kilgrave's face widens. "Sleepovers won't be a problem. I know your mother's limits in the kitchen." He leans forward a little as he answers the original question, clearly enjoying himself. "I'm really okay with either."

This time, Axel giggles. "'Either.'" He repeats the British pronunciation of the word, rather than the one he was used to hearing and saying. "You know, you talk funny."

"Do I?" Practically cutting Jessica out of the discussion completely, he goes on to say with a bit of pride. "I have an English accent." Kilgrave points out, unable to wipe the smile from his face.

At this point, Jessica had stopped eating as was just looking back and forth between the two of them with a puzzled, almost mortified expression.

"But I'm speaking English too!" This sends Axel into another fit of giggles.

"Well, yes. But I'm from England. That makes me English. _You_, on the other hand, are from America, so you speak with an American accent."

The idea made him shake his head and laugh as if being tickled. "_I_ don't have an accent!"

Kilgrave laughs too, taking another bite of food, "Yes, you do. If you were in England, everyone there would think that _you_ talk funny."

As if he wasn't buying it, Axel continues to shake his head, practically abandoning his half-eaten plate to fully investigate this. "Say something else 'English'." He uses air quotes, watching Kilgrave with heightened interest.

"Alright." Pausing for a second, Kilgrave thinks of the most commonly mispronounced words by Americans to dazzle his son with. "Water, schedule, privacy, aluminium…" He counts the words on his hands, "Shall I go on?"

Axel nearly falls out of his chair with laughter. When he catches his breath, he imitates Kilgrave and counts on his fingers, doing his absolute best to reflect his accent. "Water, schedule, privacy… alu-... almu-"

"A-loo-min-ee-um." He breaks it down by syllable, and for the first time in a couple minutes, he looks over at Jessica. "I believe you would pronounce it uh-loo-min-um." His eyes were basically saying, "Do-you-see-how-well-this-is-going?"

"A-loo-min-ee-um." Axel repeats the last word and claps his hands together in delight. He too then looks over at Jessica.

For her, she couldn't be sure if them getting along like this was a good thing or her worst nightmare. Either way, she had stiffened up, her fork hovering above her plate.

"Can I be English too, Mommy?" Axel chuckles, half-assing a full-time British accent now.

Leaning forward again, Kilgrave whispers to him, loud enough for Jessica to hear. "It's pronounced 'Mummy'."

He quickly nods and takes the hint with a sense of great importance, leaning back in his chair as he corrects himself. "Can I be English, _Mummy_?"

"Um…" Jessica swallows hard and tries not to show her conflicting emotions on her face. There was clearly no way to say no without sounding like a complete asshole, so she reluctantly replies, "Uh… if you want to… I guess."

"Yay!" He shouts, evidently excited to give this a try. Turning back to Kilgrave, he asks, "Will you teach me other stuff to say?"

"Of course." Kilgrave beams. "I can teach you all sorts of things -"

"Axel, please. Finish eating." Jessica cuts in quiet, but stern. Her face was bright, as she hated being the bad guy, shooting down his fun, but couldn't seem to let this continue the way it was going.

He frowns in response but doesn't bother fighting her. Instead, his head lowers slightly as he picks up his fork again and starts poking at his food. Though he was clearly less eager to eat, he takes large shovels full in an attempt to speed up the process so he can talk more about funny words.

While neither of them were looking, Kilgrave rolls his eyes at Jessica's inability to enjoy their time together.

The three of them resume eating in a temporary silence.

So that Jessica wouldn't have a hissy-fit, Kilgrave waits until Axel is nearly done before he reaches across the table and pulls the piece of paper out from under his elbow. "Can I see?" The elementary picture he had been coloring was clearly an image of three people standing outside together. A man, a woman, and a kid in the middle, holding hands. One could probably guess what the picture was from seeing it, but Kilgrave asks to hear it from the creator. "What are you working on?" He's sure to position the paper so Jessica could see it too.

Axel quickly nods with a mouthful of food. He takes another large bite for his mother's sake before answering. "We have to makes a family portrait to share in class tomorrow. So that's me." He points to the boy in the middle, reverting back to his normal voice by habit. "That's M-... Mummy." He smiles, only changing his accent for that one word and points to the woman on one side of him. "And… and that's you. Daddy." He points to the last figure, gleaming unabashedly. "I haven't finished yet so I am gonna color around more…"

"You've got quite a talent for drawing, Axel." Kilgrave smirks as he turns to look at Jessica again. "Wouldn't you agree, Jessica?"

She can't make eye contact with him and barely manages to smile at her son. "It looks great, kid."

"Thanks." Axel smiles in return and pulls the paper back over to him, somewhat protectively. As he takes his last few bites, he looks up at Kilgrave. "You know, Mummy won't tell me if your my daddy or not. But I think you are. Because she usually doesn't let her sleepover friends stay for breakfast, so you must be special." His appearance is suddenly more earnest as he pushes around the small bits of food left on his plate.

Jessica's jaw drops as she looks at her son. First of all, she wasn't even aware that Axel was aware of her 'sleepover friends'. She had always tried to be so careful... Maybe it was naive of her to think she could fully hide the men that came and went from her bed… Her widened eyes shift to Kilgrave to observe his response to this, as nothing came to mind for her to say.

Kilgrave furrows his eyebrows and frowns. For him, it was troubling to hear of Jessica's 'friends' from Axel as well. Not only the fact that it implied that there were many, but the fact that Axel knew about them in the first place. How unsettling was it for a boy his age to watch different men go in and out of his mother's room without ever having a father figure to connect with? He slowly turns to Jessica, his expression almost reflecting a sense of disappointment in her carelessness.

Axel only hesitates a second before he adds, "Plus, my daddy's a hero. And you seem like a hero to me."

Now, Kilgrave can't help but let a small smile come across his face, forcing the disappointment away. "I am one." He says softly, answering indirectly. Screw whatever Jessica said. If he was going to get beat up for that response, so be it.

The biggest smile is reciprocated by Axel.

Jessica's eyebrows twitch before she abruptly stands up. "Axel, why don't you finish coloring in your room, while I clean up." Her tone is unnervingly steady.

His expression doesn't change as he nods and slides out of his chair. "Okay." Grabbing his paper and his crayons, he shuffles back to his room.

Without saying anything else, Jessica picks up Axel's empty plate and her half-full one and brings them to the kitchen.

Kilgrave raises his eyebrow and grabs his plate as well, cautiously following behind. He keeps a fair distance from her as he asks in a soft voice. "Am I in trouble?"

Silently, she scraps her uneaten food into the trash, then puts the dishes in the sink. Keeping her eyes away from his, she reaches for his plate. "Why would you be?" She answers with the same volume.

It was clear then that if it was going to be anyone who was feeling bad about what just happened, it was going to be her.

He sighs and walks up next to her, setting his plate in the sink for her. Intending on being helpful, he reaches for a sponge and the soap.

She shakes her head and mutters with unease. "I got it… you don't have to…"

"Let me help." He says with a gentle tone, their eyes connecting for a moment. It's obvious that he talking about more than just the dishes.

Though she doesn't say 'okay', she doesn't stop him either.

They don't get very far into dish-washing together before there's a knock on the door.

Jessica immediately looks at the time and huffs out a breath. "It's Penny." She mumbles, shaking her hands dry a bit before wiping them on her pants.

"Penny?" Kilgrave questions, turning to watch her leave the kitchen. The water is left running as he stands at the sink.

"Yeah, she babysits Axel sometimes when Trish isn't available. I asked her to come over since we're going out today." She replies, making her way to the door.

"_We're_ going out?" The concern was that she planned to come to the Hall with him, giving her a better chance of discovering that he had lied about being kicked out.

"Yep." Before Jessica reaches the door, the lock clicks and it starts to open on its own. Her eyes widen as she watches who steps inside. "Trish?!"

The startled look on Jessica's face causes Trish to let out a loud sigh. "I told Penny to call me if you asked her to come in. What the hell, Jess? You know I'm free, why didn't you just ask me?"

Because the water was still running, Jessica stands in a state of alarm.

Trish raises her eyebrows and closes the door behind her. Nodding in the direction of the kitchen, she whispers with wonder. "Is that him?"

The noise from the faucet prevented Kilgrave from being able to hear what was being said, so he shuts it off. "You really don't have to come with me, if that's what you were thinking." He says just as he steps out of the kitchen with a towel in hand.

All three of them freeze now, Jessica caught in the middle of Trish and Kilgrave.

* * *

Author's note:

Like I told someone just recently, it's okay to question whether or not I'll be continuing this story. In fact, peoples' interest in when the next chapter will be up is encouraging. And like I told that person, I'm certainly not abandoning this story! But like I said in my end notes for PK, chapters once a week aren't a guarantee. Especially with school just a few weeks away for me. Either way, I've got a plan for this story and just like PK, I will see it through even if it takes years ;)

As you might've noticed, we aren't rushing into major plot breaking points, but rather just figuring out character relationships for a bit. It's how PK started and I thought it only appropriate to establish some sort of baseline for everyone moving forward. Sometimes relationship drama is as good as a shady organization resurrecting people. I promise :) See ya next chapter!


	12. Secrets, Secrets

_**Chapter Twelve: Secrets, Secrets**_

(Still) Day 3:

"Don't move, don't speak." Kilgrave commands Trish before sighing. Her reaction wasn't likely to be _tame_ if he hadn't stepped in.

Trish, of course, does as he says, her eyes wide with confusion and horror.

Jessica throws her head back and groans. "Godammit, Kilgrave. You couldn't have stayed in the kitchen for _two seconds_?!"

He puts his hands up and scoffs. "You said it was Peggy!"

"_Penny_." Jessica corrects, sliding her hand down her face. Her gaze fixes on Trish and her facial features droop with empathy. She knew that tampering with someone's memory was never a good option, but in this case it was unavoidable.

Kilgrave shrugs and flickers his eyes between them. "How do you want to handle this?" He asks, hoping for a specific answer.

Wishing to do the least amount of damage, she slowly turns back to him and tentatively mutters, "Erase the last minute, and go hide in the bedroom."

Kilgrave raises his eyebrow. He was well aware that she was trying to protect her sister, but this arrangement wasn't going to last. It would only get more complicated the more she tried to cover up his existence. "How long do you think you can hide me from her?"

Jessica's eyebrows twitch as she glares in his direction, aware of what he was truly asking. The worst part was that he had a point…

Still, not willing to intentionally piss her off, he slowly says, "It's your call, Jessica. I won't do anything you don't ask me to."

Her eyes shut for a second before she looks at Trish. "I'm sorry…" Jessica says, quietly, searching her sister's eyes for some sort of clue as to what she was thinking besides terror. She finds nothing… Therefore, she mutters to him, "Fine. We'll do it your way."

"Really?" He tilts his head, hopefully. When she glares at him, he figures he should pounce at the opportunity before she changes her mind. "This is for the best." He attempts to reassure with a smile.

"Just do it." Jessica snarls, showing her impatience for this to be over with.

Now, he steps closer to Trish and uses his powers as he had already thought through. "Forget what you remember Kilgrave to look and sound like. You and I have never met before." Glancing at Jessica, he adds, "Go back out. And once this door is closed, you'll forget the last… three minutes."

Absently, Trish turns and leaves, lingering a few steps from the apartment.

Because Jessica didn't move, Kilgrave closes the door. When the two of them are alone, he can't stop from grinning. "This should be interesting."

She rolls her eyes and keeps a tight expression, pressing her lips together. "Stop enjoying this." Before anything else happens, she pushes him in the direction of the kitchen. "You can at least pretend to be doing something so we're not both standing here like idiots."

"Fair enough." His level of enthusiasm doesn't waver as he trouts back into the kitchen and shouts to her. "What do you want me to say when she comes in?"

"Nothing." She growls, shifting impatiently. "Just follow my lead."

As he hangs around the corner, the knock on the door from a moment ago is repeated.

This time, Jessica opens it before Trish can. She does her best to recreate her surprise by Trish's appearance. "Trish? What are you doing here?"

For a second, Trish looks around at her surroundings and blinks hard. She shakes her head, as if a little confused before saying, "I told Penny to call me if you asked her to come in." Her tone is drastically quieter than it was the first time she came in and it's noticeable.

"Oh." Jessica mutters, failing to hide her sudden concern. "Are you okay…?" Stepping aside, she lets Trish enter.

"Yeah, I just…" She looks around again and her eyes narrow, "I don't remember coming up the stairs." Now, she laughs slightly and shakes her head again, her demeanor returning to normal. "Anyway, why didn't you call _me_?" Her volume lowers so she whispers as she steps closer, "Do you not want me to see him or something?"

Jessica lets out a breath when Trish stops looking so perplexed. "No, I didn't want to bother you. I -"

Seemingly on cue, Kilgrave emerges from the kitchen and pretends to act surprised as well to see Trish.

Both Jessica and Kilgrave pause to observe her reaction.

Trish's mouth hangs open for a second as she scans him up and down, then glances at her sister. "Um, hi." The smile that spreads across her face is clearly a genuine one of fascination and intrigue.

This makes Kilgrave grin. "Jessica," He says slowly taking a step closer, "you said the babysitter was coming over. Not your beautiful, famous sister." Much too charming for Jessica's liking, he reaches out his hand to Trish. When she shakes it, he adds, "I've heard a lot about you, Patsy."

"Please, call me Trish." The blush that fills her cheeks is undeniable.

_What the fuck._ Jessica thinks, as she turns and does nothing to hide the disgusted expression she gives him.

He ignores her and continues to smile. "Trish, of course."

"And you are?" Trish asks, eager to have this conversation.

"Hemlock." Jessica quickly jumps in to prevent him from giving his chosen first name.

"David Hemlock." He corrects anyway, though what she tried to do was obvious.

"David." Trish nods, peering at Jessica because of the odd coincidence. "It's nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine." When he says this, he slides closer to Jessica and attempts to wrap his arm around her waist.

Not at all discreetly, she slaps his arm down.

It doesn't go unnoticed by Trish. "Um, Jessica told me you're a client of hers."

"Oh, is that what she told you?"

"We can't really talk about it…" Jessica mumbles before he says anything else to ruin the narrative she already set up.

Kilgrave presses anyway, "If I'm going to be staying here, don't you think your sister should know what's going on?"

"It's a sensitive subject." Jessica growls through her teeth this time.

"Well," He tilts his head back and forth, "for _you_ maybe."

Trying not to snap, she turns to him, "Can you give us a minute?"

He manages to smirk and looks at Trish as he concedes. "Sure." Turning away from them, he saunters to the bedroom and closes the door.

Jessica crosses her arms, clearly stressed out by the situation. "Sorry. He's kind of an asshole." She mutters to her sister when they're alone.

Trish had been looking back and forth between the two of them as if mesmerized by their short banter. "He doesn't seem like an asshole to me." Almost pridefully, she starts to smile. "Is something going on between you two?"

"_Something_?" Jessica questions, raising her eyebrow. She wasn't connecting the obvious dots that Trish was.

"Yes, _something_. The way you look at each other…" She trails off as if Jessica was going to jump in and admit it before she had to say it. Seeing as that didn't happen, she blurts out, "Are you sleeping together?"

"What?!" Jessica scowls, then glances at the two closed bedrooms, mindful of her volume.

Trish laughs as if that reaction was confirmation. "You don't have to be so embarrassed about it. I just don't know why you were trying so hard to hide him from me."

"No… we're not… I'm not -"

"Jess, relax. You know I'll be happy for you if you're in a relationship."

"We're not in a relationship! Like I told you, he's a _client._"

That type of defensiveness wasn't helping her case in Trish's eyes, but she raises her hands anyway. "Okay, whatever you say."

"It's complicated, but I'm just doing a job for him, alright?"

"Okay, okay." Trying not to be so amused, she nods.

Jessica bites her tongue before turning to pick up her jacket off the back of one of the chairs. "Anyway. I asked Penny to come in because we're going out and I wanted to give you a break."

"Going out…?" Trish trails off again, fishing for answers. But Jessica gives nothing away so she gives up fairly quickly. "Well, I don't mind staying here with Axel. I have a photoshoot later tonight, so if you're not back before then, I can call Penny to come in."

"Fine." Jessica mumbles, throwing her jacket on. "It shouldn't take us that long." Before she goes to retrieve Kilgrave, she realizes that them turning up here with a bunch of his stuff was going to need to be explained one way or another. Sighing, she reluctantly adds, "He's being evicted from his place, so we're going to get some of his stuff…"

Instead of asking if that meant he was technically moving in, Trish asks, "How long are you gonna be… helping him out?"

The somewhat suggestive wording makes Jessica's gaze narrow. "I don't know." Walking towards Axel's room, she peeks her head inside. She was going to just say a fast goodbye, but seeing that he was still coloring makes her realize how complicated her life was about to become. "Hey, kid." Glancing back at Trish, she says, "Give me a second." Closing her and her son in the room together, she kneels next to his bed.

Keeping a hold on his crayon, Axel peers up at her.

"Can you do me a favor?" Jessica asks gently, taking a deep breath. Axel nods, unsure why she appeared so worried. "I know I told you that Penny was coming today, but Aunt Trish is here to look after you while we're gone instead. So… I need you to do something for me. Don't talk about… _my friend_ with your aunt."

"Daddy?" Axel tilts his head curiously. "Why not?"

"Just because… I want to talk to her about him myself in a few days." Telling a kid his age to keep a secret wasn't likely to end well. But him talking about his 'daddy' to Trish was going to lead to an unwanted conversation. The likelihood of this staying between them wasn't very high, and yet, Jessica still needed him to try.

It was clear that he didn't really understand, but he nods anyway. "Okay."

As the picture he was coloring was more damning evidence, she cringes as she pulls the paper out from under his hand. "Put this away for a while too. Go say hi to your aunt."

He stares at her hand holding his drawing before slowly sliding off his bed. "Okay…" He says much slower this time, obviously concerned about what she was going to do with his masterpiece.

"I'll put it here…" She forces a smile, opening the drawer of his nightstand, putting it inside.

This sets him at ease, and he trots out of his room to hug Trish.

She considered hiding it somewhere to ensure that he wouldn't bring it out in front of Trish, but she knew that if she left and he couldn't find it, he would have a tantrum. All she could do was hope.

Upon exiting his room, she opens her bedroom door and calls in to Kilgrave. "Come on. Let's go."

Rising to his feet from off the bed, Kilgrave follows behind her. "Yes, darling." He smiles as the two of them walk past Trish and Axel.

"We'll see you later." Jessica says to the two of them, giving a quick and unusual goodbye. The less all four of them interacted at once, the better.

*****_SECRETS, SECRETS_*****

Shadow had organized a small team to pack up Kilgrave's room for him. His suits were left on hangers, wrapped neatly in clear plastic bags, and his few other clothes were put in boxes. He was given other complimentary things, like toiletries, and necessary living items. Lastly, he would be given a briefcase of all his new legal documents, copies of his signed contracts he had with ODMA, and any other information he would need from them.

Having gotten a call and an estimated time of arrival, Shadow hung around the room to wait for Kilgrave's arrival. What he wasn't anticipating was for Aura and Bliss to arrive before him.

Without much of a care, Bliss opens Kilgrave's door and takes a quick look around. She looked relieved to see Shadow sitting in the corner of the room. "Oh, hey." She says lightly, flipping her hair back. Aura stands cautiously behind her. Both of them were still in yesterday's clothes, but there was a distinct glow to Bliss that Aura didn't seem to have.

"Yes?" Shadow answers, unaware of what they were doing here.

"Umm… Master Zayden said Kilgrave would be here soon." Upon saying Zayden's name aloud, her cheeks brighten with color. "He sent us down here to apologize."

"Really?" Shadow utters, frowning from the fact that he wasn't told about this. Not that Zayden ever shared all his information with him anyway.

"Yeah, 'cause we're going to be staying and probably working here again, so… I guess he doesn't want any bad blood between his employees." Bliss explains, unable to stop from giggling as she refers to herself as Zayden's employee.

Shadow nods, showing no signs that he was ungrateful for the lack of warning. "You're free to wait for him here." Taking the time into account, he says, "It shouldn't be much longer."

Bliss takes Aura's hand and leads her to sit on the bed next to her.

Shadow was right. Kilgrave wasn't far away.

On the other side of the building, coming in, Kilgrave keeps his arm tightly around Jessica's waist to ensure that she didn't stumble again.

"I'm fine, I got it." She mutters, trying and failing to push him away.

He rolls his eyes at the attempt. "Seriously, Jessica. You don't have to come in. It's probably best if you wait outside…"

"I'm _fine_." She growls now but gives up on trying to get him off her. She was starting to see why he hated it here so much.

A few meters before they reached the front door of Price Hall, Jessica practically crumbled to the ground from the very unexpected feeling of her strength being drained from her body. According to Kilgrave, that's where they had breached the perimeter of the power dead-zone. He was quite familiar with the strange feeling of going in and out of the invisible field. Though he was more used to it than her, the chill that shot down his spine from his powers coming or going was always distressing.

Even as she was left with the strength of a normal person, it took some adjusting. That didn't mean she was going to wait around for him to come back. The reason she accompanied him had little to do with curiosity and a lot to do with suspicion. Especially considering the weird circumstances surrounding the sisters' which she read about last night.

Kilgrave keeps his arm where it is and rightly so as he leads the way to his old room.

The atmosphere instantly becomes tense and uncomfortable when Kilgrave and Jessica enter and everyone suffers the effect.

Bliss bounces to her feet, looking between them. "Kilgrave… you brought Jessica." She laughs nervously, keeping hold of Aura's hand.

His eyes fix on her as he barks, "What are you doing here?"

"We came to apologize. To both of you… I guess." She spits out, quickly. After her eyes connect with Jessica's, she looks at the ground. "We're sorry." Nudging her sister, she gets Aura to stand up as well. "Right, Aura?"

"Right." Aura whispers, her legs shaking a little as she too looks at the ground.

Kilgrave scoffs at Bliss, not paying much attention to Aura. "Zayden sent you, didn't he?"

"Yes… but that doesn't make it any less sincere!" Bliss replies with attitude.

Shadow stays sitting still with his phone in hand, ready to call security if something unpleasant were to happen.

"Master Zayden just thought… he thought it would be a good idea for us to get along, seeing as we're coworkers now."

"Coworkers?" Kilgrave scowls.

Keeping her stance slightly in front of Aura, she nods. "Yes, we both work here now. And I agree with him." She beams, clearly happy to be in agreeance with Zayden again. "We should just… put this all behind us."

"Put it behind us?!" This time, he snaps in anger. "Do you even understand what you put Jessica through in the weeks that -"

Jessica finally breaks her silence. Not knowing or having any memory of interacting with these people before, she took a moment to just observe them. The way they spoke, their body language and how they interacted with Kilgrave. Very similarly to what Trish had deduced this morning, Jessica cuts in, saying with narrowed eyes, "You're sleeping with Zayden." It wasn't at all a question; it was a statement. Kilgrave looks over at her, impressed that she pulled that out of thin air.

Bliss' cheeks flood red and she swallows hard. "Yeah, so?" She breathes, now finding it possible to look Jessica in the eye. "I mean, it's not like that changes anything that we did together." She laughs softly, flipping her hair back.

"You should probably cut the shit about using your powers to have sex with me, because it really isn't funny. Especially not to me." Jessica says sternly, slashing through any type of playful vibe Bliss was emitting. It was clear however that she was holding back her temper with the knowledge that she, along with everyone else, was powerless here. Back to her original point, she asks, "If you like Zayden so much, why did you leave in the first place?"

Bliss looks back at Aura for a split second. "It wasn't a big deal… I just… we got into a stupid argument so I left…"

To Jessica, it was obvious that she was lying.

Shadow, who had also been silent, breaks that as he slowly raises to his feet, realizing it was time to step in. "Jessica, my name is Shadow." Reaching out, he attempts to shake her hand.

She eyes him, recognizing his voice from over the phone. Unfazed by his appearance, she tentatively shakes his hand. "Yeah, hi."

"As you might already know, I'm Kilgrave's advisor." Shadow smiles at her, then Kilgrave. "He's been quite anxious to see you. I'm glad to see the two of you reunited." After being semi-successful at changing the subject, he turns to the sisters. "Aura, Bliss, I believe Master Zayden is waiting for you in his office."

"He is?" Bliss blinks, unaware of this fake scheduled meeting.

Calmly, Shadow nods. He was easily better at lying than her. He just needed to get them out of the room. "Yes. He asked me to send you to him after this."

"Oh, okay…" Bliss, clutching Aura's hand, moves closer to the door. Figuring she should try to end on a positive note with Kilgrave, she says to him, "Like I said, I hope we can move forward from this…" Forcing a smile, she and her sister slide past them and exit the room.

"Bloody hell…" Kilgrave grumbles as she had given him a headache.

With relief, Shadow turns his attention back to Jessica. "I presume you're here to help him collect his belongings?"

That was all the interaction Jessica needed to make a proper assessment. There was only one way to reveal the obvious secret ODMA was keeping. She needed to get Aura alone.

* * *

Author's note:

Hey fam! A new friend of mine needs some help. She wants someone to write a JJ story with her. It involves vampires and it sounds like it will be a lot of fun! I would write with her myself but unfortunately, I don't have much time to commit to another project. But if you're interested, please reach out to her through discord: Wonder Woman (Diana Prince)#8759

Anyway, I'm much too excited for Trish to interact with Hemlock more :) Love you guys!


	13. Picture Perfect

_**Chapter Thirteen: Picture Perfect**_

Day 4:

Jessica knew that they weren't kicking Kilgrave out of the Hall. There was no obvious giveaway or statement that was said to make her aware of this fact, but it was in the details. The way Shadow talked about him moving out yesterday and Kilgrave's eager attempts to keep her out of the process were big clues.

And yet, she said nothing about it.

After they arrived back at the apartment yesterday, Jessica did her best to keep Kilgrave as separated from Axel and Trish as possible. She managed to get rid of Trish at a reasonable hour, before ordering take-out for herself and the boys. Axel ate watching TV, which was done deliberately on Jessica's part to avoid more questions about Kilgrave's accent. And once she made sure his homework was done, he was put to bed fairly early.

Kilgrave worked on moving his stuff in for the most part. He took half the closet space and made Jessica make some room in the draws in her bedroom, much to her chagrin.

Watching him unload all of his things into her apartment felt almost like an out-of-body experience. It was mere days ago that this man was dead in her mind, and now he was taking up residence.

When it came to nighttime, Kilgrave implored Jessica to come to bed with him, to no one's surprise. But she insisted that there was work to be done, as she only scratched the surface of information to be discovered from the previous night. He refused to go to bed without her but ended up simply falling asleep on the sofa, waiting for her.

Consequently, she was behind her desk when she woke up this morning.

The alarm on her phone made her groan and she swipes at it in annoyance. Her unkempt hair covers her eyes as she sits up and attempts to read the time. Finally focusing her vision on her phone screen, she realizes that it was her secondary alarm and that she had slept through the first. She was late.

"Shit, shit." She grumbles as she stands up and wipes the corner of her mouth, looking around. Because Kilgrave was still sound asleep on the couch, she rolls her eyes. Obviously, he hadn't heard the alarm either.

With urgency, she opens Axel's door. Standing over him, she gently shakes his shoulders. "Axel… wake up."

He stirs a little and wrinkles his nose but doesn't open his eyes.

"Come on, kid." She says softly but shakes him a bit harder. "You've gotta get up for school."

This time, he whines as his eyes open. It's clear he's unhappy about the idea.

"Let's go." She urges anyway until he sits up. "Go to the bathroom."

Saying nothing, he pouts and trudges off to do as he's told, in a regular morning routine.

Meanwhile, ignoring Kilgrave's presence entirely, she rushes to the kitchen. It appeared that there were no more of Trish's pre-packed lunches so she attempts to throw something together that was substantial enough.

When Jessica figures he should be getting dressed now, she makes her way back to the bathroom to find it empty. Apparently, so was his bedroom. This didn't put her in a good mood.

"For f-... god's sake, Axel! You cannot keep doing this!" She growls, clenching her teeth. Yet her tone does nothing to get him to reveal himself. Low on patience this morning, she groans and goes to the bathroom herself, hoping that if she didn't look for him, he wouldn't find it fun anymore and would just give up on his own.

Moments later, there's a knock on the bathroom door as she's straightening out her appearance. "Jessica? Everything okay?"

Her eyes roll. Kilgrave sounding actually concerned about her was only annoying.

"I heard shouting." He remarks, leaning against the door frame. Having woken up to the sound of her tirade, he felt groggy and squinted at the light. Yesterday's shirt loosely hung from his shoulders as he stood patiently waiting for a response.

She doesn't give one initially and waits until she's exiting to glare at him. "Axel's gonna be late for the bus." The tone she uses reflects the expectation that he wouldn't understand.

That's what causes him to sigh, but he follows her anyway in the hopes of proving that he could be helpful.

She pays no more attention to Kilgrave as she steps back into her son's room. Unfortunately, her initial absence from playing along didn't bring him out. She rolls her eyes again as she takes a good look around the room. Today, he seemed to have picked the now obvious choice in a rush and gone for the nightstand for the second time in a row.

"Nightstand. Again." Jessica huffs out and taps the top.

As he did, the structure melts and reforms into Axel standing in his clothes. He was already pouting when he appeared but his frown deepens when he looks at his mother. "I don't wants to go…"

He was about to cross his arms, but she grabs him by the wrist. "I don't care. Come on." On her way dragging him out of the room, she locks eyes with Kilgrave who had been silently standing in the doorway behind her.

He had certainly seen stranger things before in his lifetime, but it bothered him most that he was just now finding out about it instead of hearing it from Jessica herself. Did she not think it was an important detail that their son had abilities?

Though she says nothing as she pushes past him, he raises his eyebrow at her, specifically.

With anyone else, it would have been her intention to hide this fact, but if Kilgrave was living with them, he might as well know. She was more than confident that his knowing wasn't putting Axel in any danger. He wanted them to be a family far too much to jeopardize that by saying something to anyone about Axel's powers...

Planting Axel firmly in the middle of the front room, Jessica scrambles to finish putting his lunch together and get it in his backpack.

As it was evidently a high-stress morning, Kilgrave chooses to stay with Axel instead of needlessly following Jessica around.

Crouching down in front of him, Kilgrave smiles and pushes back his messy hair. Even as he could have commented on Axel's powers, he doesn't. "You don't like school, do you?"

Sadly, Axel shakes his head and shifts on his feet.

Choosing his words carefully, Kilgrave says, "It's okay. I didn't either."

And just like that, Axel bites back a giggle, hearing the word 'either' pronounced that way again.

Glad that worked, Kilgrave grins. "Well, are you at least excited to share your family portrait?"

As if suddenly reminded about it, Axel nearly jumps in the air. "Oh, yes!"

"Good. You should be very proud of that."

Jessica peers at Kilgrave coming back into the room. His ability to make Axel smile was only becoming more suspicious to her.

Kilgrave stands up straight as she puts Axel's backpack on his shoulders and quickly kneels. They were barely going to make it at this rate, but she wasn't going to let him go without doing this. "The rules, Axel." She says sternly, holding one of his arms. "Say them."

Axel's gaze flickers up to Kilgrave as he slowly mumbles, "I do nots use my powers in public, I do nots talk about my powers in public."

"Good." Letting out a breath, she gives him a quick hug. "I love you, kid."

Blushing, he replies, "Love you too... Mummy."

His single-word accent change makes her eyes roll. "Always have…"

"Always will."

Kilgrave smiles observing this ritual.

"Now, let's go. Quickly." Grabbing his hand, she starts pulling him toward the door.

"Wait, wait!" Frantically pulling in the opposite direction of her, he reaches his free hand towards Kilgrave. "Can Daddy come?"

Jessica's eyes connect with Kilgrave's but he answers first, knowing that she didn't want to invite him, but she also didn't want to be seen as the bad guy. "Of course I can."

Keeping his expression, Kilgrave takes Axel's little hand in his and the three of them walk together, side-by-side, just as Axel's picture depicted.

With Jessica leading the pack, she practically drags the two of them to the bus stop, where again, they arrived right as the bus was pulling up.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Jessica nudges Axel forward into the line. "Have a good day." She mutters, forcing a slow breath to calm herself.

"Bye, Axel," Kilgrave says with more enthusiasm than Jessica.

"Bye, Daddy," Axel replies quietly to Kilgrave alone and shyly smiles as he waves and Kilgrave waves back.

Jessica internalizes a groan, hearing him say that in a public setting.

It's only after Axel boarded that she realizes some of the other mothers were looking at her again. Well, no. They were looking at Kilgrave.

There was a small clump of them that liked to talk with each other in the morning who were using the volume of a whisper, some glancing every now and then.

To Jessica, they might as well have been drooling. Obviously Kilgrave's look of 'I've-just-woken-up,-but-I-still-manage-to-look-gorgeous-and-I've-accidentally-left-the-top-buttons-of-my-shirt-undone-as-I-take-my-well-behaved-kid-to-the-bus-stop' was working for them. Besides his appearance, it didn't go unnoticed that he was the only man there or perceived father. Kilgrave doesn't seem to notice until he's being approached.

A tall, middle-aged blonde woman, who wore high heels everywhere she went, walks from the cluster of toxic gossipers directly to Kilgrave. Out-stretching her hand with a wide smile, she opens with, "Hi, I'm Samantha. You must be Axel's father."

Looking away, a few of the other care-takers quiet their conversation to try and overhear this one.

Jessica can't stop from scowling. How did this woman even know her son's name?

"Eh," The attention now was blatant and Kilgrave raises his eyebrow as he reaches his hand out and shakes hers, giving an answer Jessica couldn't scold him for. "I'm David."

"Nice to meet you, David." Tossing her hair behind her shoulder, Samantha's smile widens. "I just wanted to tell you that I'm Vice President of the PTA for this school and I have been for a couple of years. We organize events and fundraisers and all sorts of fun things for the kids. If you're interested in volunteering, we'd _love_ to have you…"

Maybe Jessica would be less annoyed if that sentence ended with the word 'attend' or something to that effect. But no.

Samantha picks up a new sentence instead. "We meet every Wednesday and Friday at seven in the gymnasium." Finally stopping to notice Jessica's intense and unamused glare, she glances at her, then back at Kilgrave. "You and, uhh…" Searching for an unknown name, she motions to Jessica.

"Jessica." Kilgrave provides the answer, seeing as she didn't.

"Yes, you and Jessica can stop by," Samantha concludes, looking back at him with adoration.

"Maybe we will." Kilgrave begins to smirk, reaching out to take Jessica's hand. "Right, darling?"

Hearing his accent more defined, one woman behind Samantha practically swoons.

Jessica's teeth grind, and she doesn't accept Kilgrave's hand. This morning was just getting worse. It was surely a mistake letting him come. She has to remind herself that it was for Axel's sake. If she didn't at least attempt to not be _un_likable, it was going to make the rest of the year doing this with these same people a living hell, and it could unintentionally have consequences on Axel. Therefore, she forces herself to answer, "Right."

As the bus pulls away, another woman was staring as well, but she was on the other side of the street. The word 'woman' used lightly, as she was much younger than anyone else standing around. She had shoulder-length brown hair with neatly trimmed bangs, and with the assistance of how far away she was, her face wasn't very visible. When she catches Jessica's eyes, she turns and walks in the opposite direction of them.

Jessica didn't dwell on it as she was eager to leave, which she shows when she turned away without another word.

Kilgrave quickly follows behind and after the short walk back to the apartment, she glares at him behind closed doors. "Can you not?" She grumbles instantly.

Kilgrave smirks, sliding his hands into his pocket. "Can I not, what?"

"You _know_." She mutters, not wanting to explain that she didn't appreciate him being charming with other people. Already exhausted, she collapses on the couch.

Standing over her, Kilgrave tilts his head as her eyes close. "Does it bother you that other women enjoy talking to me?" He asks, digging for her to admit her jealous behavior.

Her eyes snap open. "Yes." She answers honestly but unfortunately doesn't stop there. "Because they only like talking to that bullshit facade you put on. They know nothing about the asshole you are, and _that_ bothers me." It was obvious that he was only taunting her, but today, she wasn't in the mood.

Kilgrave sighs and watches her eyes close again. He stands there silently for a moment and just observes her before saying, "Did you not think to mention earlier that our son has powers?"

This time, her eyes stay closed but she tenses. "_My_ son has powers."

Now, he tenses with her, clenching his jaw. "He's not marked." He says, referring to the fact that there was no X on his wrist; a law that he found truly disturbing when he was forced to study it.

"He's not a mutant." Jessica answers, adding with contempt, "It probably has to do with his father."

That was a fact, but the way she said it was an intended jab at Kilgrave. While he had made an effort to not spark an argument, Jessica seemed to be doing the opposite.

His eyes narrow at her. "I'm trying. But you're making this more difficult than it has to be."

Without hesitation, she barks back at him. "Don't pretend to give a shit about Axel." This was something she thought about quite a lot last night, so for her, this was a well-earned statement.

"Excuse me?!" He scoffs back, his eyes now wide with bewilderment and sudden oncoming rage.

His reaction causes her to growl, much slower. "Don't pretend. To give a shit." Her eyes slowly open to reveal the intensity behind them, as she looks up at him. "You've done worse things to try and get close to me. We both know that. You know as well as I do that if he gets attached to you, I'll have no choice but to let you stay here forever. Don't use my son's fucking emotions." Her tone is unflinching.

Discovering yesterday that Kilgrave wasn't being kicked out of the Hall came with the horrific realization that Kilgrave was still Kilgrave. He was still _manipulative_. Mind control or not. Instead of respecting her and giving her the small amount of space she requested, he lied to force his way into her apartment. Why was he inclined to not do the same with the rest of her life? Axel was most obviously the way to her heart, and she explicitly told him that on several occasions. It hurt, that after all this time, she still needed to be this guarded with her emotions, and stay vigilant about his true intentions. God help her, she wouldn't let him toy with her son.

But Jessica wasn't the only one hurt. What she just said struck a chord with Kilgrave and stared down at her with an appalled expression. His voice doesn't raise when he asks, "Is that how little you think of me?"

"Why shouldn't it be?" She snaps her response, finally sitting up to look at him. Her elbows rest on her knees as she leans forward and waits for him to give a genuine answer. She wasn't going to call him out for lying. If he had any decency, he would admit it.

He scoffs again and takes a step back, masking his upset with anger. "What have I done to earn this level of distrust?"

Her teeth grind and she says nothing, staying in her seat.

But her eyes said everything and suddenly Kilgrave is laughing with disdain.

There were moments yesterday that he feared he slipped up, but Jessica hadn't said anything. Only now did he realize that it was responsible for her cold behavior this morning.

Continuing to scornfully laugh, he says, "Is that what this is about?! I'm sorry I lied about having to move out." His hand drags down his face and while his voice is muffled, he growls, "Maybe if your head wasn't so far up your arse in denial…" Dropping his hand, he takes a moment to collect himself before attempting to use a gentler tone. "You needed space, I needed _you_."

His apology was unmistakably ingenuine, so she shouts back. "So what?! Your needs come before mine?"

"Were you even _listening_ to the shit I've been through?!" He snaps, effectively making her stop. "Do you know what it's like to wake up and realize the person you love has been living a whole other life without you?" His eyes search hers for understanding. "I _needed_ you." He repeats, almost whimpering.

"And I _needed _time!" She growls, but her voice starts to break, becoming more emotional than she wanted to be. "You were fucking dead to me five days ago and you gave me no time to process this shit!" His mouth opens but he doesn't say anything, leaving her to mutter, "_Six years_ you were _dead_, Kilgrave. And you expect me to be okay when you show up in my bed?" Her hands were trembling. It wasn't anger anymore, it was something worse in her opinion. Her fists clench as she almost laughs as she says sarcastically, "Oh, but I'm sure the past _month _has been _so_ hard for you."

Hearing the crack in her voice rips at his heart and he blinks hard. It was true, he couldn't imagine what she had been through. Quietly now, he says, "How was pushing me away going to help you cope?"

"I don't know," She answers honestly again, but takes no time to continue to growl, "But that was _my_ goddamn decision to make. Not yours." She bites her tongue for a second. "You came in here, like no time had passed and that pissed me off, because _so_ much time has passed for me. You act like it didn't matter. Like _every goddamn day_ I woke up and you weren't here meant nothing. Because 'everything was better' since you came back." Her breathing was erratic and she couldn't seem to steady it or rein in her emotions anymore. Everything was coming out now, whether she wanted it to or not. "And you demanded to see Axel like… like he was just some prize you could inherit by showing up. But you don't understand. You weren't here. I _raised _that boy. I gave _birth_ to him, and then I spent nearly every day of my life for five years with him." Her eyes begin to swell with tears. "You weren't here for every goddamn diaper, and every time he cried and every tantrum. You weren't here for his first step, or his first word or the first time he spelled his name. You weren't here the first time he used his powers and scared the living shit out of me." She laughs at the memory and presses her palms to her eyes in frustration.

Watching her nearly cry makes it hard for him to speak and he's forced to take shallow breaths. "I wanted to be…"

"But you weren't. That kid is my fucking _world_. And yet you expect him to belong to you? In order for you to do what? Force me to keep you around?"

"Is it so wrong that I want to be a parent with you?"

"Axel is _mine_." She shakes her head and pulls her hands away, looking at the ground. "I don't trust you with him. You have a history of using other people to get what you want." His lie was the root of her skepticism, but what he said didn't ease her suspicious about why he was being this good with her son.

"Let me prove myself to you." It's evident that he was begging and his tone mellows out in his reply, "Just because I love you doesn't mean I can't love a son too."

When she opens her mouth, it's tentative and much less hostile than it was at the start of the conversation, but still accusational. "There's always an ulterior motive with you…"

"Which version of me are you remembering, Jessica?" He quietly asks, reflecting his hurt. After the progress they made together, she was treating him as if he hadn't changed at all. Her refusal to answer causes him to add, "Did you ever think that maybe…" He pauses in the hopes that she would lift her head and look him in the eyes. She doesn't, so he goes on anyway. "... maybe when I learned about Axel, I realized I had a chance to do something that my father failed at. I had a chance to _be there_ for my son." On the emphasis, he growls through his teeth. His eyes glisten under the dim fluorescent lights.

There's a long stretch of silence. He might've had a point too.

When she says nothing else, Kilgrave sighs and glances at the time on the wall. Reading it, he laughs a little dejectedly. It wasn't even nine o'clock. "It's too early in the morning to be arguing with you."

Finally opening her mouth again, she mutters back, "I agree."

"I'm glad we're on the same page." Kilgrave takes another step back and runs his hands through his uncombed hair. "Just tell me this. Would you be happier if you still thought I was dead?"

His tone remained grave. Her eyebrow raises as she eventually locks eyes with him. Making sure under her eyes were dry, she slowly answers, "I'd definitely be less stressed out."

There was a hint of humor behind her voice, but he ignores it. He needed her complete honesty now. "Jessica." He says rigidly, "Would you be happier?"

It was an impossible question. One she wasn't prepared to answer. Therefore, she keeps her mouth shut.

But that hesitation was practically a yes to him. He needed a break from this. In her silence, he says nothing either and turns to the bedroom, walking in its direction.

This makes her eyebrows furrow, almost in a state of alarm. Was he walking away from her? "What are you doing?"

"I need a minute to think. So do you, probably." He says with a generally lifeless tone, masking his pain with indifference.

She didn't really want to be alone right now, and that much was written all over the way she reacted. "Wait… I don't know." Quickly rising to her feet, she reaches out and grabs him by the wrist to stop him from leaving. When she pulls him closer, she starts to mumble, "I don't know… I guess not… I guess I wouldn't be…" Saying that aloud makes her skin hot and she prayed she wasn't blushing.

The way she pulled him towards her made him stand directly in front of her. He sighs on account of their closeness. Though walking away from the conversation wasn't a tactic to get her to respond, he was relieved that she stopped him. He didn't really want to be alone either. He takes another deep breath before muttering, "I want you to let me care about Axel…"

While his breathing slowed down, hers sped up. Her caring instinct for Axel was at war with her feelings about Kilgrave. "I -"

Her hesitancy makes him jump in, "In your own time." He says gently, twisting his wrist out of her grip to be able to take her hand instead. "I can handle all your ridiculous rules and whatever other restrictions you want to put on me while you learn to trust me with him. But please, for the love of god, stop staring at me like I'm an alien every time I show interest in him."

That nearly makes her smile. "Fine." She mumbles, looking down at his chest, rather than his eyes.

Like he was dealing with a wild animal, he moves quite cautiously as he leans his head forward to rest his forehead against hers. When she doesn't back away, his eyes close and he sighs once more, his free hand coming up to cradle her chin.

She flinches slightly from the unexpected touch, hesitating to do anything more. As his lips graze hers, her eyes close and she lets him kiss her, but doesn't move.

It's quick but astonishingly tender. Not with lust but reconciliation. When he pulls away, they look at each other and Jessica swallows hard.

Somehow with him, she went from annoyed, to incredibly annoyed, to angry, to virtually relaxed. Her emotions were constantly fluctuating, and in this complicated situation, one couldn't really blame her.

It had gotten much too sensitive in the room for her so she takes a step back from him, dropping his hand. Unprompted, she mutters, "I'm going to take a shower, then I'm going to Alias to work…"

Her subject change causes Kilgrave to start smiling, beyond infatuated with her. "Can I come?" He asks, tilting his head.

This time, she answers without hesitation, "Sure. You used to be a P.I. once, you might be helpful."

Her answer was more than encouraging and proved that she had taken something away from that conversation. He starts to grin and she almost smirks back. But just because he knew he was granted permission to come to work with her, he teases her by saying, "Not to work. I meant, can I come in the shower with you?"

She instantly scowls at him. "You're an asshole."

Kilgrave's left grinning as he watches her walk away and slam the bathroom door shut.

* * *

Author's note:

Ughh, school. I relate to Axel right now.

I have to say, I love writing a good argument between Jessica and Kilgrave. It's healthy to voice this shit. Aren't we lucky that I left them on a good note this time? That's not always the case, so this is nice :) Cherish it while it lasts, my friends...


	14. Nightshade

_**Chapter Fourteen: Nightshade**_

(Still) Day 4:

Unlike usual, Malcolm arrived for work _after _Jessica.

He was given the same treatment that Trish was, having the details of Kilgrave's voice and appearance wiped from his memory entirely, so he could be re-introduced to Kilgrave as Hemlock.

Again, Jessica made Kilgrave out to be a client and stayed quite tight-lipped about his situation or why he was there.

Though Malcolm doesn't outright question her, he sits with a curious expression. "Care to fill me in?" He asks, booting up his computer.

"I've got it covered." Jessica quickly answers. "Though, if you wanna be helpful, you can dig up anything you can get on one 'Zayden Price'."

"Zayden Price." Malcolm repeats, jotting it down on a piece of paper. "What am I looking for?"

"Anything. _Everything_." She tries not to scowl as she notices Kilgrave peering over her shoulder. "I want every single detail of his life examined."

Malcolm nods and sets to work, though the fact that this supposed client was sitting next to her and not in front of her doesn't go unnoticed by him.

Before, she was attempting to explain to Kilgrave what she had already found out about ODMA and what she was trying to find out about the people involved.

In somewhat of a hushed voice, Jessica attempts to continue the conversation they were having without being as specific as she would like to be. "If we find out why they left, we find out what he's hiding."

The idea of focusing on the sisters was what irritated Kilgrave most but he doesn't say anything more as he had already voiced his opinion on the cab ride over her. They had a rocky start to their morning and he decided against making it any worse. Instead, he tentatively asks, "How do we even know he is hiding something? He could _just_ be an arsehole."

Jessica's eyes flicker up to Malcolm as if to see if he was listening, before responding. "Anyone who is exploiting the use of the kind of technology they have is hiding _something_." Her voice lowers even still. "I don't want you involved with them, and the only way to get you out, is to hang something over _their_ heads too."

The way she said 'I don't want you involved with them' made Kilgrave start to smile. "Well, I'm certainly not complaining. I don't want to be involved with them either."

Jessica doesn't notice the prideful way he was beaming at her and continues to look for results on her computer.

Despite the discussion they just had, Kilgrave wasn't following. Still looking over her shoulder, he questions the name on her screen. "Who's Bianca Ramsey?"

Swiftly switching over to images, Jessica tilts the screen towards him so he could see. The pictures were all clearly of a slightly younger aged Bliss. Her hair was light brown in all of them rather than the hot pink color it was now and a few inches shorter. "Bianca and her sister, Auralie Ramsey died in what was supposedly a freak accident three years ago."

"Oh." Understanding the connection now, Kilgrave slowly nods. "Why 'supposedly'?"

"Apparently they went out for smoothies and died of nightshade poisoning a few hours later."

"_Nightshade_?" Kilgrave raises his eyebrows. "The berry?"

Jessica nods, glancing up again. "They found traces of it in their smoothie cups after the fact." Going on to summarize the article she just finished reading, she says, "It's called a freak accident because only a few other customers of the smoothie cafe were affected, but the handful that had poisoning had it in such a small dosage that it barely gave them a stomach ache; this, in opposition to the lethal amounts found in Bianca and Auralie's autopsies. Obviously, there was the suspicion of foul play, but nothing came from the investigation. Even then, no one could explain how a deadly plant ended up in their ingredients. Not the supplier company, nor the employees. The company ended up being sued for twelve million dollars on account of both wrongful death lawsuits, and then the manager of the cafe pleaded guilty to criminal negligence. He's still serving his ten-year sentence out right now."

Listening to this, Kilgrave's eyes narrow. "Why did he plead guilty if he doesn't know how it happened?"

"Plea deal, I'm guessing." She shrugs in response, searching for the court case records to confirm her suspicion. Before she could find it, her phone starts to ring. The quick way she reacts to it indicates that she had been waiting for this call. Rising to her feet almost instantly, she says to him, speaking louder so Malcolm could hear. "I have to take this." The glare she gives Kilgrave on her way out of the room is a warning for him to behave himself while she was gone.

Kilgrave cocks his head as he watches her leave the room. When it's just him and Malcolm, he slyly smiles.

There was really no _need_ for Kilgrave to be jealous of Malcolm. He knew as well as Jessica from the way she spoke about it, that Malcolm was in a relationship with Patsy. But this had nothing to do with romantic intentions. Whether Kilgrave was consciously aware of it or not, he _was_ jealous of Malcolm. There was a time when Kilgrave was Jessica's sole P.I. partner. It was a much shorter time, admittedly, which was part of the problem. Because of the time Kilgrave spent as a dead man, Malcolm had undoubtedly spent more time with Jessica in his lifetime than Kilgrave had, and certainly more time as her partner.

Those years were stolen from Kilgrave. It wasn't until he arrived in the office that the inner unease of envy started to pulse in the back of his mind.

Malcolm watched Jessica leave the room before he caught Kilgrave looking in his direction.

"It's Malcolm, isn't it?" Kilgrave asks, pretending as if he had forgotten.

Malcolm nods, admittedly enticed by this stranger.

Once again pretending to be clueless, Kilgrave asks, "How long have you been working for Jessica?" There was some truth to him not knowing however, because the last time Kilgrave saw Malcolm, he was a drug addict.

"Um, I've been working with her for about five years now." Malcolm subtly corrects the fact that he was working _with _Jessica instead of _for _her.

"Really? Then, of course, you _know_..." He pauses, but it doesn't seem like Malcolm was catching on until he adds, "... how difficult she can be."

This time Malcolm laughs a little hesitantly. "Yeah, she's certainly a character."

There's a hint of ill-will under Kilgrave's reciprocating smile. Not that it was easily detectable.

"And, when did you meet Jessica?" Malcolm asks now, turning to face Kilgrave more with interest.

"She and I have a bit of a past," Kilgrave answers concisely, though he was probably giving away more than Jessica would have liked. "I have a…" Tilting his head back and forth, he searches for the right word. "... _troubled_ history. She's helping me sort a few things out."

It's clear that Malcolm is curious to ask more but he doesn't. Instead, looking back at his computer, he slowly nods. "Well, Alias is always here to help."

It almost appeared as though Kilgrave was bothered by the lack of follow-up questions, prompting him to say, "Of course, it's not _strictly_ business between Jessica and I. We -"

He stops completely when Jessica re-enters the room and his natural smile returns.

Jessica's eyes narrow at him as she walks back to her desk, noticing the seemingly sudden quietness.

"Wanna share who you were talking to?" Kilgrave asks after a beat of silence.

"No." Still eyeing him, she sits back down.

This morning when she was in the privacy of the bathroom with the shower water running, she had made a call. Their offices were closed at that time and they had just called her back to set up an appointment time that would work for her. It was about time she got some serious form of birth control, so a visit to an OB-GYN felt appropriate. Not that she was going to admit it's coincidental timing in response to Kilgrave returning to her life.

Because of the strange energy in the room, Jessica made it a point not to leave the two of them alone again.

*****_NIGHTSHADE_*****

"Who did we get for today, Destiny?" Zayden asks, reaching his hand out for a clipboard of information pertaining to the subject he requested.

His personal assistant who was in charge of organizing the schedule is hesitant to reply. She was a small woman with dark skin, who had been promoted to the position after expressing the same ideals as Master Zayden. She was one of the first people to become a Risen and actually coined the term. Ultimately, even as she was on Zayden's side, she regretted working so closely with him. Or _under_ him, rather.

"We don't have anyone ready." Destiny answers, taking a deep breath to brace herself for what was to come next.

The two other people in the room who were waiting behind Destiny lower their heads and shift uncomfortably. One of them inches closer to the door in the hope of escaping without being seen. Luckily for him, he manages to silently leave before being called back.

Zayden blinks and turns, looking down at her, more than literally. "What do you mean, you don't have anyone ready?" He asks with an incredibly calm tone, giving her a chance to explain.

"Mutant casualties are down recently. Especially _accessible_ mutants. The gang wars in the city are slowing down. I know you asked us to outsource if we couldn't get our hands on anyone local, but -"

"I hope you're getting to the fucking point." Zayden interrupts with a growl, his calm nature melting with every passing second.

Destiny talks faster. "On our budget, we really can't fly any more bodies in right now. Yes, we have a few corpses but no one you'd be interested in. Their powers are… _mundane_. They wouldn't be of much use to you, or the cause for that matter."

Sitting down in one of the chairs in the vast space, Zayden crosses his arms and stares back at her with an angry expression. He lets his eyes burn through her for a moment before saying, "Are you telling me we can't _afford_ to get anyone of value?"

Having dealt with Zayden much more personally than most of his employees, she nods, knowing it was better to give it to him straight than try and bullshit him. "That's correct." Before he can go off on her completely, she adds, "Division 1 is breathing down our necks as much as it is. They wanna know where all this money is going and the more we spend, the more inquisitive emails _you'll_ be getting from head office. It doesn't exactly help that you canceled your trip there."

It also didn't help that he had drained a large part of their money trying to keep Kilgrave alive. It was an expensive scheme and in Destiny's eyes, it was far from worth the resources and effort. But she made the mistake of questioning him on his plans for Kilgrave before and she had a scar on her face to prove it. There was no point in bringing up that waste of money now, anyway. It was already done.

For Zayden, working in secrecy from the rest of ODMA was becoming more and more of a pain in the ass. This wouldn't be happening if he was given his rightful ownership of the entire company instead of a single division.

Destiny's logical response doesn't stop the inevitable, however, and Zayden yells, "So why _the fuck_ am I here?!"

The warehouse they were in was largely empty, causing his voice to bounce off the walls and echo back to them several times.

Since both the headquarters in New York and Price Hall were built and paid for by ODMA, Zayden had his own set up for his unregistered business. It was nearly an hour outside of Manhattan in a formally abandoned warehouse. Despite how long he had been using it, there wasn't a very organized layout and little to no equipment. There were merely a few glass barriers along with a standby cryostasis chamber in case it was needed.

It was an understatement to say that Zayden was annoyed by the fact that he came all the way out here for nothing.

Destiny shakes her head. "We were working up to the last minute, trying to find someone to bring in…"

"I gave you a _list_ of New York candidates, did I not? I practically did your fucking job _for_ you! And you're talking about _flying_ someone in?! Just get one of the fucking mutants on the _list_."

The truth was, Destiny, didn't agree with that method of operation. Therefore, she lies, with more ease than most. "You requested that I have Hex get one of them, but Hex is on another assignment right now."

Since Zayden didn't personally manage everyone's work schedule, this was believable enough. Still, he growls through his teeth with impatience. "It's been _weeks_ since I've done a resurrection, Destiny. When I give you a fucking deadline, I expect it to be _met_." Enraged, he kicks the chair next to him across the room.

She doesn't even flinch. "Would you prefer if I brought in one of the weaker mutants to be revived? Is that really how you want to spend your time?"

It was a rhetorical question to prove her point, but she had missed the mark today. "Yes, actually." Zayden snaps, quickly standing up.

Destiny raises her eyebrows. "Seriously?"

"Yes." Whipping his jacket off, he tosses it on the chair behind him and starts to roll up his silk sleeves. "Do you at least have the Offerings here?"

"Umm, yeah. There's a group of them being held in the basement…" Questioning his sincerity, she glances back at her only co-worker left in the room.

"Oh, so you _have_ done something right!" He exclaims sarcastically, shooting her a glare. "Fine. I want a dead body here in -" Pausing, he checks his phone for the time. "- the next _hour_." Logistically, that was an incredibly small window of time and he knew that as he waves a dismissive hand. "Go."

Quickly, both Destiny and the other man scramble out of the room to attempt to fulfill this wish.

Letting his boiling temper settle, Zayden watches them before slumping back into the chair and grumbling to himself. To say the least, this whole ordeal with Kilgrave and Jessica was stressing him out. It didn't help that the sisters had jumped into the mix, trying to ruin what took years of planning and preparation. All that aided him in stress relief were the resurrections, which were what he looked forward to most on a month to month basis. If he wasn't doing that, then his entire feeling of purpose would diminish.

As he waited for their obedience, he pushes back his bangs and sends a text. _{I'm taking you out tonight. Be ready at 7}_ _\- 3:19pm._

_{Should I wear something nice?}_ _\- 3:19pm._ Bliss responds quite instantly.

_{Wear whatever tf you want. We're celebrating} - 3:21pm_. He grins to himself.

_{Celebrating what?} - 3:21pm._

_{Us.} - 3:25pm._

*****_NIGHTSHADE_*****

A few clients dropped by during the day, confused as to why they were meeting with three people rather than the two people named on the Alias website. It came back almost naturally for Jessica to allow Kilgrave to sit in on their meetings, but it started to confuse Malcolm more than anyone else. For that reason, she left early, dragging Kilgrave behind her. This gave her a chance to actually pick up Axel from the bus stop instead of asking Trish to do it.

Axel was excited to see both Jessica and Kilgrave waiting for him, and even more excited to recount the miniscule details of his day to them over dinner.

It was no surprise that Jessica was exhausted by nightfall after putting him to sleep.

This was something Kilgrave was looking forward to for a good part of the day.

"Is it a fair assumption to say you were annoyed with me last night?" Kilgrave asks, standing in front of her desk with his hands slid in his pockets.

From resting her elbows on the desk, she sits back in her chair and looks up at him with heavy eyelids. "Yeah, what's your point?"

"Is that the reason you didn't come to bed with me?" He asks as casually as possible, rocking back on his heels as he does.

Her eyes narrow now but she doesn't answer, having a feeling that she knew where the next question was going.

He smirks a little despite her silence. "Are you annoyed with me _now_?"

This time, she bites her tongue.

"You look exhausted." He remarks, though his tone has dropped considerably to something huskier.

She opens her mouth for a single statement. "I am."

"Good. So am I." Smiling, he reaches his hand out to her and motions for her to stand up. "Come on."

She doesn't move, though her gaze begins to soften.

Both of them were aware of how this was going to end, but he was curious as to if she would follow him without him having to physically bring her into bed with him.

Receding his hand, he sighs gently and shrugs. After semi-yawning, he says, "Well then, if you don't mind, I'm off to sleep." With that, he turns and saunters off to her bedroom. The door closes idly behind him.

It was the opposite of what she was expecting.

Kilgrave smiles as he strips himself of his clothes, climbs under the covers and switches off the lights, waiting in anticipation.

He was preparing to wait for at least half an hour before she caved, but he ended up only waiting fifteen minutes.

The door opens and closes and Jessica stays as silent as before. Leaving the lights off, she turns her back to the bed as she opens her jeans and drops them on the floor. Instead of removing her shirt, she reaches behind herself and undoes her bra, letting that fall next to her pants. Even in the dark, she doesn't make eye contact with him as she crawls into bed next to him with her back to the middle of the bed.

Deciding not to tease her now, Kilgrave continues to smile to himself and slides closer to her.

He finds that she doesn't protest when he brings their bodies together. One of his legs slides between hers, making it easier to press against her. His arm drapes over her waist and slides up the bottom of her shirt. Laying his hand flat against her upper stomach, his thumb just barely reaches between her naked breasts, not going any further.

The pace of her breathing changes.

With his forehead on the back of her neck, he breathes against her skin and can't seem to resist kissing her just below her ear.

There's an audible sound of her swallowing as goosebumps rise on her skin.

The kiss he gives her is slow and wet, but he leaves his tongue out of it. With his lips still brushing against her, he whispers a gentle, "Goodnight."

Still, there's verbal silence on her end. But her eyes close as her hand falls over his.

Six years of sleeping in bed with her, he had missed. Lying on cloud nine, here and now, he promised himself he wasn't going to miss another night like this.

* * *

Author's note:

That one guy slipping out of the room before Zayden blows up is me, trying to escape my problems before they explode in my face. Lol, such a meme.

I'm attempting to not go for more than a couple weeks without posting an update, so thank you to the few of you cheering me on through my hectic schedule! Much love to you all :)

P.S. Have any of you seen the episode of 'Criminal UK' that David Tennant is in? I just watched it and my mind is blown. He's such a phenomenal actor!


	15. Take It Back

_**Chapter Fifteen: Take It Back**_

Day 8:

Things were running fairly smoothly in the Jones household. Oddly so.

There were still plenty of things for Jessica to be concerned about, of course, especially with letting Axel continue to refer to Kilgrave as his daddy. It was so habitual now, that she knew telling him to stop would be pointless. It was only a matter of time before Trish heard him talking that way, and for that, she would need an explanation. It was tiring trying to juggle Kilgrave and Trish, especially when they happened to be in the same room together. Trish, not very subtle in her dig for answers, and Kilgrave all too willing to give them.

Still, having Kilgrave around in the morning seemed to stop Axel from being so anxious about going to school.

It was coming up on noon, as Jessica was returning from her second appointment that week. Something that she talked nothing about with Kilgrave, but she was relieved it was dealt with now.

Kilgrave sat around waiting for her return, his feet kicked up on her desk. When the front door opened, he peered up at her with a curious expression. "Can you stop being so secretive?" He asks, rather playfully, though he was impatient to know what these 'appointments' of hers were all about.

"You're with me nearly every minute of the day. I deserve to keep some things to myself." Jessica answered, leaving her jacket on.

The birth control implant they put in her arm left a tiny incision mark on her bicep. They had warned her against potential bruising that could be caused by irritated skin around the implant, so she wasn't going to risk taking her jacket off now. Kilgrave was too attentive and curious not to notice.

"Seeing as we're living together, I think you should be more honest with me." He smirks and crosses his arms.

"I think you should fuck off." She scowls back but it's clear that she's not _really _upset. Walking over to her desk, she shoos him out of her seat before taking for herself.

He stands over her and observes her behavior. "Jessica…" He purrs her name a little before reaching out and brushing back a strand of her hair. "That's no way to talk to the person who sleeps in the same bed as you."

Her eyes become narrow as she scowls again and slaps his hand down. Choosing to ignore that comment, she pulls out her phone to check the time, then grumbles to him. "I'm leaving for work soon. You have to stay here. I don't need you badgering me in front of Malcolm today."

Kilgrave scoffs but continues to smile, leaning against the back wall now. "You can't just leave me behind. We're partners."

"You're not entitled to time working with me. Besides, there are some things -" Jessica cuts herself off when she hears a quiet movement from inside her apartment, specifically coming from the bathroom. Her eyes widen. Of course, she assumed they were alone. Why wouldn't she?

Seeing her state of slight alarm, Kilgrave stops himself from grinning as he lowers his voice. "Oh, did I forget to mention? Patsy's here."

He didn't just forget to mention it. He purposely opted out of telling her until now. Knowing that Patsy was beyond inquisitive in trying to understand his relationship with Jessica, she was likely listening in on what was being said. He did this only with the confidence that if Jessica had called him 'Kilgrave' or said anything compromising, he could just as easily wipe Trish's memory of anything _too_ revealing.

When Jessica was at her appointment, Trish came by and admitted to Kilgrave that she did so without telling Jessica first. They had a brief conversation about living with Jessica and conjured up the idea of something that would be revealed to her later on. It was only about ten minutes ago that Trish arrived and just a moment before Jessica came in that she excused herself to the bathroom.

The color drains from Jessica's face with anger and annoyance and she has to bite her tongue to stop from scolding him. As she turns and looks at him, he shrugs innocently. It's now that she realizes why he shoved in the comment about them sleeping in the same bed. He knew she wouldn't deny it if she thought they were alone. Jessica's muscles tense at the thought. She was going to kill him.

Trish was quite a natural at pretending to be naive to things, so she appears unfazed by anything when she emerges from the bathroom. Telling whether she heard anything or not was going to be a challenge.

"Hey, Jess." She smiles, nodding a second hello to Kilgrave.

Unappreciative of what felt like a sneak attack, Jessica stays rigid. "Trish. What are you doing here?"

"I just stopped by to check on you and see how you're doing. If I had known you would be gone, I would have called." She answers just as innocently. "David was kind enough to let me in and told me you'd be back soon, so…" She shrugs as she trails off.

Hearing Kilgrave called David is enough to make Jessica cringe. "Well, I'd appreciate you texting me ahead of time before you just drop in unannounced."

Though it was obvious Jessica was bothered, it doesn't cause Trish to soften her responses. "You never cared before." Trish smiles, hinting at the obvious change in the room. "Anyway, I was worried about you. You're being elusive and I haven't seen Axel very much the past few days."

Jessica's teeth clench, trying not to glance back at Kilgrave. "If you're worried about me, _call me_."

Almost ignoring that, Trish presses on. "David told me you had some sort of appointment? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, are you okay? We're worried about you, Jessica." Kilgrave chimes in and steps forward to stand next to her and put his hand on her back. His fake worrying tone is clear to Jessica, but not to Trish.

"I'm. Fine. Seriously." Jessica stops herself from growling as she moves away from his hand. "Now, I need to go to work." Standing up, she indicates in a not so subtle way that it was time for Trish to leave. "If you want to see Axel, you can pick him up from the bus stop for me today."

"Okay, I will." Trish states firmly, nodding as she repositions her purse on her shoulder and makes her way to the door.

Kilgrave waves when Trish pauses at the door. "It was good to talk to you again, Trish."

"You too." She genuinely beams back before looking at her sister again.

"I'll text you later." Jessica cuts in impatiently, opening the door for her.

"Alright, see ya." Still smiling, Trish leaves without more hesitation.

The moment Jessica closes the door, she glares at Kilgrave. She says nothing for a few seconds to make sure Trish was out of earshot before snapping at him. "What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

"Relax, I doubt she heard anything." Kilgrave grins, lying through his teeth as he walks closer to her with his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah right, with that goddamn remark." She growls and shoves him the moment he's in arm's length of her. As he stumbles to catch himself, she clenches her fists. "It's not funny. I don't want her knowing that we're…" Jessica quickly catches herself, ensuring that the idea did not escape her lips.

Kilgrave's eyes practically light up. "Knowing that we're, what, Jessica? A couple?"

Her eyes roll in an attempt to recover. "I don't want her _thinking_ we're a couple." She corrects as sternly as she can.

He signs out a breath and then laughs a little to himself. He wasn't going to get into this with her right now, but he wasn't worried either.

"Stop talking to her when I'm not around." Jessica commands after he says nothing.

"What was I supposed to do? Wouldn't it look worse if I _didn't_ let her in?" His head tilts as he asks this with an easy, soft tone. "Don't worry. We had a perfectly pleasant and innocent conversation. Nothing that you wouldn't approve of, darling."

She grumbles, "Whatever. You should have told me she was here. _She_ should have told me too…"

"So it's not _completely_ my fault this time?" He asks lightheartedly in his response.

Turning her back to him momentarily, she grabs her bag off the floor. "Shut up." As she was going to attempt and leave for work without him, realizes that she just created another problem for herself. If Trish was going to be picking up Axel, she'd bring him back here. That meant she couldn't leave Kilgrave here without her like she wanted to. Sighing heavily, she offers, "Stop being an asshole and you can come to work with me."

Having followed her train of thought, Kilgrave can't help but smirk as he follows her out the door. "No promises."

*****_TAKE IT BACK_*****

"I'm working. Stop it." Zayden mumbles as he struggles to finalize a contract that was going out today with Bliss sitting on his lap.

She contently ignores him and strokes her fingers up and down the front of his silk shirt. "You're always working." She responds softly, attempting not to pout.

When her fingers start to undo one of his top buttons, he snatches her wrist. "Bliss. Stop." He growls, knowing that he needed to concentrate on this.

While Bliss' incessant desire for sex was something Zayden's younger-self would have been over the moon about, he had less time for those types of pleasure, despite how tempting they often were. Especially now that everything was in full swing with Kilgrave being awake.

Bliss looks at him sadly, before twisting her wrist out of his grip. Silently, she stands up and picks her jacket up off the floor, slipping it on as she takes a seat across from his desk.

Zayden's lack of availability is one of the only things that truly bothered her about their relationship in the past. She didn't even really mind when he shouted or got angry, as long as he was giving her attention. The past was not something she wanted repeated, and yet she says nothing now.

The few belongings that Bliss and her sister had were retrieved and officially moved back to Price Hall. Aura was in her room organizing things now, as Bliss should have been. But she stays seated across from her lover, watching the variations of frustrated expressions come across his face.

Zayden doesn't even seem to notice that she's still in the room.

Minutes of only the sound of his typing pass before his door is unlocked and opened by Destiny. "Master Zayden, the new -" Destiny abruptly stops as she turns to notice Bliss. Her eyes flicker back to Zayden in questioning if she should continue.

There used to be a lot that was kept secret from Bliss, but Zayden was less worried about it now, so he waves his hand to get her to go on. "What is it?"

"The new Risen wants to set up a time to meet with you in regards to a reunion?" Destiny says, sure to erase her initial hesitancy.

"The new Risen is awake already?" He finally looks up, raising his eyebrows.

Bliss looks back and forth between them.

"Yes." Knowing what the next question was going to be, Destiny preemptively answers. "Remember, he died from drowning, so there were no major wounds to heal. It wasn't hard to get him in stable condition."

"Right." Zayden huffs out. "Give him a space in my schedule in the next few days or..." He trails off for a second, picking up a pen and flipping it between his fingers. "What did you say his powers were again?"

"Plant regeneration." Destiny answers without an attitude, though it was the third time she went over this with him.

This instantly causes him to roll his eyes. "Right. Push his meeting back to late next week. I have more important things to deal with."

Destiny nods and exits as quickly as she came.

Zayden takes a breath as he flicks the pen in his hand across the room. His eyes catch Bliss' as he was about to look down again. She was trembling ever so slightly. Without much concern in his tone, he asks her, "What's wrong?"

Pushing back her hair, she starts by mumbling. "This Risen… he gets a reunion?"

Suddenly understanding what her problem was, Zayden leans all the way back in her chair and sighs. As he kicks his feet up, he answers with a sweetened, condescending tone. "We researched them. Everyone in his immediate family is a mutant. It's a rare, but lucky circumstance."

Part of Bliss wished that she wasn't here to hear that, so that these unwanted and conflicting feelings could stay dormant just a little longer. But here she sat, as if she were just now remembering why she tore herself away from this place, she continues to tremble as she holds back tears. "Are they good people?"

"What?"

"Are they _good people_?" She asks again, not daring to raise her voice, but allowing it to crack.

Zayden sighs with the inability to show sympathy. "I wouldn't know."

His answer was irrelevant as Bliss' response was already coming out of her mouth. "My parents were good people."

Another pen ends up between Zayden's fingers. "Your parents were _human_." The word is spat out with disgust.

"I know." Bliss whispers, pushing her palms to her eyes before looking away. "But -"

"Oh, but what?!" He snaps, the plastic pen in his hands cracking as he does. "I've been over this with you, Bliss. I gave you a _perfect_ fucking explanation. Why are you trying to ruin our relationship?!"

She frantically shakes her head, keeping it lowered so she didn't have to see the fury in his eyes. "I'm not. I just… I just want -"

"_What_?!" Slamming his fist down on the desk, he stands up and leans over her chair. "What is it that you fucking want?!"

A single tear leaves her eye and trails down her cheek. "I just want you to say you're sorry…"

Zayden was a master at explaining away his actions, but he never once looked her in the eyes and apologized for them. It was a beyond reasonable request but he was too irritated now to accept it or deescalate the situation. "But I'm _not_ sorry."

Her eyes widen with horror as she gradually looks up at him, her voice still incredibly quiet. "Take it back…"

"I'm. Not. Sorry." He spits even slower, still towering over her. "Your parents were disgusting human filth, just like the rest of them. The rotten scum of a race that oppressed us for years and continues to do so. _Us_, Bliss. What is your fucking problem?! Aren't you proud to have abilities? You are superior and yet you drag your feet, wallowing about your fucking human parents." His fist comes down on the desk again and she flinches. "After I saved your life, your _sister's_ life, what did you expect me to do? Let you run back into their fucking arms? No. I don't think so.

"You're a beautiful force of nature and they didn't deserve you. What kind of man would I be to let you go back to them? I _liberated_ you from them and you want me to say I'm fucking sorry?!" He laughs angrily as darkness clouds over his eyes. "I _smiled_ when I wiped them off the face of the fucking earth."

Bliss was trembling even more now and she abruptly stands up to face the man who took her parents' lives. "Shut up! Take it back!" She finally yells, tears streaming down her face.

Without warning or any visual cue, Zayden draws his hand back and twists his body to backhand her in the face. The sound of his hand hitting her cheek is almost tangible. The force of the hit sends her to the floor, where she collapses.

Her cheek stung with extreme pain but she doesn't bother to cry out. Instead, she simply whimpers and curls up on the floor against the wall. The stream of tears quickens but she doesn't make another sound as she covers her pulsing cheek with both hands.

As if at the drop of a dime, Zayden demeanor changes and softens. He shakes his head as he looks at her, then walks around his desk and crouches down in front of her. His voice is a gentle whisper now, "Oh, Bliss. I'm didn't mean to."

Instead of cowering from him, she leans into him as he pulls her into his arms.

In his moment of toxic honesty, Zayden failed to tell Bliss that he did what he did to her parents for more than the reason he stated. He did it gain her allegiance. If Bliss and her sister had no family to go back go, she would have no choice but to be more devoted to him. And that, she was.

Shifting, he sits down next to her, resting his back on the glass behind him. He kisses her forehead and holds her tightly, slowly rocking her back and forth. "I said this before, but everything I do, I do with good intention. You _know_ that." He continues to whisper, though still making his point clear. "I want to stop lying to you and be completely honest from now on. But you have to trust me, okay?"

Bliss nods silently before laying her head on his chest, wetting his shirt with tears.

"Good. I love you." He lies.

*****_TAKE IT BACK_*****

Jessica had a strongly worded text conversation with Trish throughout the day, expressing her displeasure with surprises like her dropping in, especially with what she was trying to deal with. Trish was slow to agree to these new boundaries, but they got there eventually.

Malcolm had gone home, as it was past Alias' closing time, but since Trish had gotten Axel, Jessica and Kilgrave stayed behind for a few more hours.

Jessica was working with a few solid leads that had to do with the Ramsey sisters and was working on one for Zayden.

As she was taking note of something, Kilgrave frowns at a text he receives.

His sudden and prolonged silence causes Jessica to glance at him. "What are you doing?"

"Shadow just sent me a text. They have an assignment they want me to do." He blinks as he skims the contact that was given to him.

Jessica stops what she's doing and gives him her full attention. "What is it?"

Hoping to summarize the lengthy reading, he says, "They want me to recruit someone for them…"

"_Recruit_? What… who?" Sliding her chair closer, peers over at his phone.

"Some guy named Matthew Tanner. It says 'persuade him to come take an informatory course about ODMA'. 'Persuade'." He rolls his eyes and scoffs before quoting another part of the contract. "'Use of your powers may be necessary.'" His eyes roll again.

The moment he says the name, Jessica was on the computer researching him. He appeared to be a normal guy. "Sounds sketchy." She concludes anyway. "When do they want you to do it?"

"Umm," Scanning the contract, he finds the instructions, "'Time allotted; three days.'"

She pauses to think before saying, "We'll go tomorrow and see what they want with him."

"_We_?" Turning to face her, Kilgrave raises an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I'm not stupid enough to let you go alone."

He smiles at her. One couldn't be sure if she was being untrusting or protective of him, but he chose to believe the latter. "I'm not complaining." But the entirety of her sentence was just now occurring to him. "Uh, but we can't go tomorrow."

"Why?"

"We have plans." He blurts out, though he was supposed to wait until tomorrow to tell her.

Instantly suspicious, she turns to glare at him. "What are you talking about?"

He hesitates and slides his chair away from her as he says, "I'll tell you if you promise not to get upset." The expression he receives causes him to bite back a grin.

Already starting to get upset, her muscles tense. "What did you do?"

Tilting his head back and forth, he gradually admits, "I sort of, might have, given Patsy my word that we would go out to dinner with her tomorrow."

"You did what?!"

"We were just talking this morning and thought it would be nice for us to get to know each other!" He answers defensively though he's clearly trying not to laugh.

Her jaw drops at his temerity. Her obvious and immediate answer is, "I'm not going to sit down at dinner with you and Trish!"

His smile is undeniable now. "We figured you would say that, which is why I wasn't supposed to tell you. Although… it was going to be my job to get you in the car when the time came." He pauses and looks at her with fake sympathy before saying, "It'll be fun, Jessica. Besides, do you really want to decline and disappoint the two closest people to you in your life?"

The most unbelievable part of this situation was that Kilgrave and Trish were planning things behind Jessica's back.

* * *

Author's note:

Wow, it's been a while. I'm sorry, I've been in a weird headspace... but I'm here now! I truly want to thank everyone who is still reading. From the bottom of my heart, you guys are the best.

So we've established that Zayden is a murderer and _just a bit_ vindictive towards humans. Not great...

Anyway, hopefully, less than a month for the next update. Part of this chapter is pretty dark, but next chapter should be a lot more fun ;)


	16. Grown-Up Conversations

_**Chapter Sixteen: Grown-Up Conversations**_

*****Two months after Kilgrave and Jessica met*****

Kilgrave was pacing in front of Jessica and the female gynecologist that had been called to their current 'home', though it was really just a space they invaded. He wasn't worried as much as he was annoyed and bothered.

"Honestly, there might not be a reason she's reacting negatively. It's a rare case, but some women, unfortunately, can't grow accustomed to the hormone change, and it makes them nauseous." The physician answers, glancing at Kilgrave. His silence and stern expression make her feel the need to keep talking, so she goes on, "But… umm… like I said… you might want to bring in an expert who specializes in… _gifted_ people. Her strength might have something to do with her body's rejection of it…"

It had been a few weeks since Jessica started taking birth control pills. It was around the same time that she started genuinely losing her appetite and having extreme cramps. It was killing Kilgrave's mood and honestly their sex life. What was the point of having her on the pill if she's going to be too nauseous to fuck?

"What would you suggest?" Kilgrave growls through his teeth, his pacing coming to a stop.

"We could try giving her an implant? But… I can't say with certainty that it will be any different. I highly suggest that she stops taking the pills altogether because the nausea could worsen. If you're worried about pregnancy, condoms are the safest route right now."

The headache Kilgrave gets from this makes his eyes burn through her. "Leave us." He orders the doctor. On her way out, he adds, "If you have the urge to tell anyone about this, throw yourself off a cliff instead."

Jessica had been sitting there, completely silent, watching him handle the affairs of her body. After two months of being with Kilgrave, the reality and the weight of her situation began to dawn on her. Her attitude and constant need to piss him off weren't helping. Right now, she's rather quiet, though the urge to speak her mind still makes the back of her throat itch.

When they're alone, Kilgrave turns his gaze to Jessica. "Tell the truth. How are you feeling now?" He asks, his tone shifting to something more solemn.

"Still queasy," Jessica mutters back, pulling the skirt of her dress over her knees as she shifts uncomfortably.

His jaw clenches before he commands, clearly still annoyed. "Throw them away."

Knowing what he is referencing, she stands and retrieves the pack of birth control pills from the nightstand by the bed and throws them in the trash, before sitting back down in front of him. Amidst his quietness, she tentatively opens her mouth. "I didn't expect you to care."

Unsure of how this statement was intended, his eyes narrow ever so slightly. "I've learned my lesson before." He answers stiffly.

What she meant was that she didn't think he'd care if she was sick. She had the expectation that he'd make her continue the pills, considering how he didn't want to be bothered with condoms. But his response makes her blink. He responded as if he was talking about the birth control itself. "Have you gotten a girl pregnant before?"

The glare he gives her is one she is familiar with. It meant she should be quiet.

But as if she hasn't learned from the same mistake on countless occasions, she presses on. "You never tell me anything about your past."

"With cause." He mutters back, although he makes his way over and sits on the sofa next to her. "You know, there's a reason I have trust issues." Either he's trying to prove that he can open up about some things or is simply grumbling to himself about part of his life that still angers him, because he says through gritted teeth, "She thought it was in her best interest to lie to me about being on birth control."

With a horrible feeling that she knows how this story ends, Jessica murmurs, "Did she end up pregnant?"

A glazed-over look shadows his eyes. "She didn't live long enough to find out." The statement is spoken with a great level of resentment still underlying it.

A cold chill tears down Jessica's spine.

The moment passes as quickly as it came. "Tell me. Do you want children, Jessica?" When he asks this, he stares at her intently, his hand finding its way to rest on her knee.

"No..." She mumbles, hoping that was the right answer. There certainly wasn't any desire in her to have kids under these circumstances, whether she had even considered it before she met him or not. The idea of making a family with _him_ makes her feel sicker than she already is.

"Good. Neither do I." Possessively, he cups her chin and pulls her forward to give her a brief kiss on the lips. "Let's keep it that way."

*****_GROWN-UP CONVERSATIONS_*****

*****Present day*****

Day 9:

Kilgrave and Jessica lie in bed together. It's a Saturday morning and Axel hasn't woken up yet, giving them the perfect opportunity to take a moment for themselves. Jessica lies on her back with Kilgrave pressed against her side. His arm draped over her waist and his hand slid up the bottom of her shirt to rest on her stomach. His thumb strokes her navel on repeat, rather slowly. She has her eyes closed, but Kilgrave knows she's awake, leaving him to question whether or not she's _pretending _to be asleep or is just that relaxed.

Kilgrave shifts for the first time in about an hour when he sees something on her arm. "What's this?" He asks, his eyebrows furrowed. Pulling his hand out from under her shirt, he gently runs his finger over the small incision mark on Jessica's bicep with a small bruise formed around it.

Jessica sighs through her nose and leaves her eyes closed. She had preferred to keep this conversation from happening a little longer, but she can't avoid it forever. "It's a birth control implant." She mumbles in response.

Kilgrave sits up and leans on his elbow to look at her. It doesn't get her to open her eyes and make eye contact, however. "And it actually works?"

"They did some tests on me, so yeah. I should be fine." Her answer is rigid as she's briefly reminded of their past.

Trying to absorb this information and the implications it comes with, Kilgrave chooses to ask, "Did you ever plan on telling me?"

"It has nothing to do with you." Her tone remains even, but her eyes finally open when he starts to laugh. "What?" She scowls.

"It has nothing to do with me?" He continues to laugh softly. "For the amount of time that I've known you, Jessica, there are still some things about you that I don't understand."

She must be in a mood that's not shitty enough for her to shut down this conversation immediately or push him out of bed. Instead, she looks back up at him and asks, "Yeah, like what?"

"Like how you can exclude me from decisions and knowledge about things that clearly impact the both of us." There are plenty of things he could be thinking about the implant, but the notion doesn't seem to bother him very much. His voice stays light as he briefly tilts his head at her.

There's a slight pause as she eyes him. When she speaks, her words come out slower than usual, as if she were alluding to something more. "It can't impact you if we're not having sex."

That sentence under different circumstances could mean a number of different things. But the way she says it here and now, catches Kilgrave's attention. He pauses and tries to analyze her expression for the appropriate response. Unable to find any clues in her eyes, he's slow to answer, "Should I do something about that?"

Jessica's eyes roll and she pushes him away before getting out from under the covers and standing up. The tank top she had on was crumpled up over her stomach, but she doesn't bother trying to pull it down or cover her bare legs. The smallest smirk appears on her face as she makes for the door. "I'm going to shower."

Kilgrave watches her leave as the beat of his heart gradually quickens. There's only a handful of seconds that he hesitates, replaying the signs in his head before he leaps off the bed and follows her, tip-toeing past Axel's room. He doesn't bother to knock as he twists the bathroom doorknob and invites himself inside.

She had only gotten the chance to turn the water on and let it start heating up before she's interrupted. Though her expression shows her surprise, the likelihood that she's actually startled is slim.

In two quick motions, he closes the door behind him and steps to her, pulling her closer by her shirt. The kiss he gives her is not gentle, though it is slow.

Her quickness to reciprocate and kiss him back is promising. Normally for Jessica, she wouldn't go this extended amount of time without having sex, and she would have picked up another random guy four days ago. But with the madness of Kilgrave's resurrection and return to her life, she convinced herself that she had no time to pursue a random fuck-boy. The problem is, the tension from her libido is starting to affect her again, so what better relief than the person sleeping in bed with her. She would have said, 'took you long enough…' right about now, but she doesn't want to give him the wrong impression.

Instead, she doesn't delay grabbing him by the wrist and pulling him backwards into the bathtub with her under the running water. It's luckily warm enough now as it pours over them and makes the clothes they're wearing stick to their bodies.

Kilgrave doesn't miss a beat and grins as they get in together. Breaking the kiss, he looks down at his hands as he takes the bottom of her soaking tank top and carefully pulls it over her head. "Your clues were a little too obvious." He whispers sarcastically, still grinning. "You should make it harder to figure out next time." Tossing her shirt on the side of the tub, he gazes down at her naked breasts with admiration, before bending down to kiss them.

"Mhm…" Humming, she bites her lip briefly, as he licks up the constant stream of water that trickles from the tops of her breast to her nipples. "I don't know what you mean." She lies, reaching for his boxers. "It's not like you need an excuse, anyway."

He scoffs a little, his lips finding their way back up to her neck. "Why are you so opposed to telling me _when you want me_?" He whispers in her ear as he kisses it, taking a hold of her underwear and starting to push it down.

Her body convulses for a moment just after her eyes darken. "Are you telling me I need to be more direct?" She asks, snarling quietly as she helps him get her drenched underwear off, kicking them away.

"Yes." He answers against her lips, kissing her again.

To his surprise, she spins them around and pushes him against the wall. Swiftly, she takes the front of his boxers and pushes them down, freeing his hard length. "Fine." When he leans forward to connect their lips, she quickly shoves his chest back and growls. "Don't move."

His eyes flash as he watches her. Combing her wet hair back, she turns away from him for a split second and picks up some soap, working up some foam into her hands. The next thing she does is take his cock in one hand and slowly rub it, closing the space between their bodies again.

Kilgrave's breath hitches as he pushes his hips closer to her. When her thumb strokes over his tip, he groans. "Fuck…"

There's a certain pulse that can be felt between her legs when she hears this. Driven only by the desire that has been consuming her the past few days, she leans forward and whispers to him this time. "I want you..." Her lips press to the side of his neck, followed by her fiercely sucking on his skin as her grip around him tightens and the movement of her hand becomes more forceful.

He whimpers and his eyes roll back, letting his head fall against the wall. His hands hold onto her waist for dear life, pressing his fingertips into her skin, only because he knows she can take it.

"Better?" She asks rhetorically, lifting her lips only to pick a new spot on his neck to suck on, occasionally pulling at his skin with her teeth. Her hand loosens again, rhythmically changing her grasp on his cock to ensure he doesn't come. Not without her.

"Jessica…" He utters breathlessly, her name coming out of his mouth naturally, as he associated every sexual feeling with her. Water drips down his face past his lips as he leaves his mouth hanging open to breathe.

With enough anticipation built, Jessica keeps a hold of him and lets his shaft brush against her stomach momentarily on its way between her legs. She doesn't tease him much longer before she goes up on her toes and eases herself down onto him. Both of them moan in unison as his tip slowly stretches her open.

Kilgrave turns them so Jessica is against the wall again and she lets him, as he immediately lifts her leg from under her thigh. With his hand gripping her skin, and the water rushing down on them, he jerks his hips upward to force the entirety of himself into her.

The satisfaction of that feeling causes Jessica to whine, leaning forward to shut herself up and kiss him on the lips. Her tongue grinds against his and effectively muffles her sounds. As Kilgrave finds an appropriate, yet fluctuating pace for his thrusts, she wraps her arms around his neck and runs her hand through his hair, following the motion of the water that showers down.

As she tugs on his hair, he growls and adds a distinct roughness to his movements, his hold on her skin becoming more firm. He's the first to break the kiss in need of breath, as steam was beginning to fill the bathroom with them. Instead, his mouth falls on her breasts once more, lazily dragging his tongue over her chest.

Her eyes stay screwed shut as water pours down her face and she takes every part of him in stride. The harder his hips jerk, the more she moans, her clitoris stimulated by the closeness of his body. The franticness of that feeling becomes more prevalent as she paws at his back and tugs at his hair a little more passionately.

Though he had done a good job bringing them both close to the edge, Kilgrave purposely brings his hips to a drastic slowdown. It's jarring enough to make Jessica open her eyes and stare at him with what could only be seen as desperation. "Kilgrave…" She mumbles, peering at him with impatience, desperate to regain the overwhelming feeling he had just interrupted.

"Shh…" He shushes her with a small smile. He wasn't ready for this to be over yet. So in an attempt to extend this moment, he pulls his cock out of her completely and _very slowly_ edges it back in.

The elongated mewl Jessica reciprocates is the one he was looking forward to hearing. The pumps in and out of her that follow are just as agonizingly slow. He holds her attention by keeping his eyes on hers, then he gently kisses her lips. The kiss doesn't last long, but his lips hover over hers to let the taste of her linger.

It doesn't take much once he increases the speed again for him to unravel at the same time as her. When he comes, he presses his entire body into her and groans in her ear, his hips beginning to twitch as he comes inside her. Her orgasm makes her muscles contract, though she does her best not to claw at his back. She fiercely bites down on her lip but it doesn't stop the involuntary stream of whimpers from escaping her throat.

Dropping her leg, Kilgrave rests his head on her shoulder, taking a second to breathe. Her hand slides out from his hair, but leaves her arms around him, resting her head on the wall behind her. After a moment passes, he shifts and eases himself out of her once more, his strings of come wash down the drain with the flow of the water.

Her legs tremble slightly but she stays standing as the high gradually fades from both of them. Kilgrave indolently kisses her neck and she receives each with a soft hum.

They linger there for quite some time, letting the water wash over them.

Jessica is the first to move, as she becomes aware of the time. Axel will be waking up on his own soon.

"Come on," She utters, gently nudging him away from her.

Kilgrave tries not to pout as she hurriedly wipes herself down with some soap and steps out, leaving him alone under the warm stream.

Knowing that protest isn't likely to change anything, he follows her lead with a short wash, turning the water off behind him. By the time he steps out, she already has a towel wrapped around her and is waiting to hand him one.

He smirks to himself and takes it from her, taking his time drying off before putting it around his waist. "That was fun." He remarks, with a teasing tone, breaking the momentary silence.

She scowls at him as she wrings out her hair. "Don't make it weird."

Laughing, he waits next to her, standing in front of the mirror as the steam begins to clear. "I could say the same to you. You're awfully quiet."

"I don't have anything to say." Her response is firm but her expression remains softened, admittedly content with what had just occurred.

He smirks, looking back at the mirror as the remainder of the fog clears. His eyebrows raise as he sees himself. "Jesus Christ, Jessica…" Tilting his head to the side, he runs his fingers over the forming hickeys on his neck. They're already a deep purple color.

Peering at him, she blinks as if she were just now noticing them as well. "Oh… oops…" She mutters, followed by a guilty shrug.

"Oops? That's it?" Rubbing over the marks, it's hard for him to fake being upset when what he really feels is a sense of pride.

"Well, what do you want me to do about it now?"

"What's Patsy going to say when she sees me like this tonight? What, are you gonna tell her you punched me in the throat instead? I'm not sure which is more believable..." Kilgrave playfully grins at her.

Jessica's eyes narrow. "We're not going to that fucking dinner. I told you -"

There's a startling, yet incredibly timid knock on the bathroom door. "Mommy? I have to pee…" Axel murmurs through the door.

"Shit." Jessica curses very quietly under her breath. "Okay, kid." She calls back, "Mommy will be out in a minute. Can you hold it that long?"

There's a short pause on the other side. "I think so…"

Frantically, Jessica picks up her wet underwear and shirt from the tub and shoves Kilgrave into action. "Put your boxers on!" She snaps, keeping her volume low.

"Put them _on_?!" He whispers back, picking them up off the shower floor.

"Yes! I don't want him getting the wrong idea."

"Jessica, they're _soaking_ wet."

"Fine!" She growls, just hoping Axel doesn't piss himself, before swinging the door open and pulling Kilgrave out with her.

The look on Axel's face is pure confusion when he sees the both of them. He shifts a little anxiously, holding his hand between his legs. "Hi, Daddy…"

"Hey, Axel." Kilgrave smiles, stumbling out of the bathroom, gripping his underwear and the towel around his waist.

Doing the best she could to explain this away in one sentence or less, Jessica blurts out, "We were just having a conversation… for grown-ups only..."

"You have grown-up conversations in the bathroom?" Axel asks, with genuine curiosity.

"Yeah…" Jessica answers, unconvincingly, before carefully nudging Axel into the bathroom. "Now go ahead." When she closes him in, she glares at Kilgrave with irritation.

Immediately on the defensive, he throws his hands up, trying not to laugh as he asks, "How is this _my _fault?"

*****_GROWN-UP CONVERSATION_*****

It was right around seven o'clock and the instant there's a knock on the door, Kilgrave springs to his feet as if he's been expecting it.

Jessica growls at his response, already expecting the worst from him. "Who is that?"

Without answering her, he swings the door open and invites the babysitter inside. "Hello, Penny." Kilgrave says, glancing back at Jessica with a smile.

Penny is a fairly small, blonde woman in her early thirties. As Jessica is with anyone she leaves around Axel, she did a thorough background check along with a chemistry test with Axel to make sure they got along before hiring her. At this point, Penny had been babysitting Axel for close to two years and he considered her like an older sister.

This isn't the first time she's met Kilgrave so she reciprocates a smile. "Hi, David."

At the sound of her voice, Axel trots from behind the open door to his room and immediately hugs her leg. "Penny! I finished the picture I was working on before! Wanna see?" Already tugging at her sleeve, Axel attempts to pull her towards his room.

"Of course!" Penny laughs, taking his hand as she moves inside but stops to acknowledge Jessica. "Hi, Jessica. Like I told David, I'm okay with putting him to bed if you're planning on being out for more than a few hours."

The fact that Jessica wasn't aware of any of this becomes apparent by her face. Instantly glaring at Kilgrave she grinds her teeth. "You called her here?"

Flustered and growing more embarrassed, Penny starts to blush, "I'm sorry, you didn't know?"

Holding her tongue so she doesn't swear excessively in front of Axel, Jessica doesn't break her glare. "No. I didn't."

"Can you give us a minute?" Kilgrave says to Penny, still smiling as he approaches Jessica and manages to drag her into her bedroom.

The second the door is closed, she shoves him and growls, keeping her volume fairly low. "What the fuck, Kilgrave! How do you even have her number?!"

Waving his hand as if that's a trivial detail, he says, "Patsy gave it to me, but that's not important..."

"I can't believe you!"

"Jessica…" He purrs, stretching out her name. "What do I have to do to get you to come to dinner? Do I have to beg?"

Her eyes roll. "When has begging ever worked for either of us?"

She had a point. Either way, he takes a step closer to her. "In thirty minutes, your _sister_ is going to be sitting at an empty table at a restaurant, where she's already made reservations, waiting for us to arrive. Do you really want to just leave her there? Besides, you're going to have to clear some things up about us with her eventually, right? Why not now, on your own terms?"

Rolling her eyes again, she hesitates to say anything, most likely weighing the pros and cons in her head. Eventually, she starts slowly, "If we go, _you_ are not allowed to control the narrative. _I_ will do the talking. Am I clear?"

"Crystal." He smirks, gleaming with excitement.

"Fine." She mumbles, going to open the door. "Let's go."

As he's in a suit and she's in jeans, he looks her up and down. "What are the chances I get you to wear a dress?"

"In your fucking dreams."

He shrugs, unable to wipe the grin off his face. This was going to be interesting.

* * *

Author's note:

So I promised someone a _long_ time ago (shortly after season 2 came out), that I would write a shower scene for JJ and KK. And here we are!

It has been _a while_, goddamn! I won't make excuses, but I'd like to apologize to everyone who has been patiently waiting for the next installment. Here's to hoping it won't take so long for the one after this.

'_Lady in rose_' has been continually helping me sort my ideas and flesh out the plot, and now I just picked up a new beta, '_Torch_'! She's helping me eliminate my typos and mistakes I often miss, so a big thanks to her as well!

Happy holidays everyone! You guys are the best!


	17. It's a Date

_**Chapter Seventeen: It's a Date**_

(Still) Day 9:

"You need to relax." Kilgrave whispers, smoothing his thumb over Jessica's knuckles.

She had taken his hand subconsciously, out of what seemed to be a habit that never died, despite the long period of time they had been separated. Before, the hand-holding was very much a tactic to keep him in line and ensure that he didn't wander off. Now, there appeared to be no strategic purpose. Kilgrave never verbally mentioned it, which meant she never consciously acknowledged it either, and their hands remained connected as he led her through the front door of the restaurant. Because of the extra effort it took for him to get her in the car, they were arriving a few minutes late.

Jessica glares at him through the corner of her eye but doesn't say anything.

Just inside, they are greeted at the door by a hostess. Even as Jessica is clearly not dressed to the standard of the restaurant, the hostess smiles warmly. After welcoming them, she asks, "Do you have a reservation?"

Without hesitation, Kilgrave answers, "We're with the Walker table."

Quickly scrolling through the database, the hostess continues to smile. "Ah yes. Right this way."

Kilgrave's mood could only be described as boyish excitement as he eagerly follows behind the hostess. She leads the way to their table and he tugs Jessica along. They weave through different sections of the restaurant until they reach the section furthest from the door. While the majority of the other tables feature business meeting-like events, this area is quieter, with more intimate lighting.

The instant they turn the corner, Jessica stops, pulling Kilgrave to a halt with her. It was easy enough for her to recognize the back of Trish's head. What froze her was seeing who she was sitting next to.

"Oh, fuck no." Jessica mumbles, shaking her head. "No."

"What?" He responds, looking around to find what she was seeing.

Just as he realizes why she's stopped, she growls at him with a low voice. "Did you know Malcolm was going to be here?!"

Kilgrave blinks with surprise then shrugs in amusement. "No, actually." That was the truth. But he knew she had no way of verifying that. With the hopes of not causing a scene, he turns back around and attempts to pull her along again. "It's not a big deal."

But she doesn't budge. Instead, she yanks him back towards her. "Nope. We're leaving." She states, turning around simultaneously. If she had known her sister had planned a _double date_ she never would have agreed to come in the first place. "I'm not doing this. I'm just not. We're not. We're _leaving_."

He doesn't allow himself to be pulled easily. He wasn't going to allow this opportunity to pass after he tried extremely hard to get her here. "Relax, Jessica. Why do you care if he's here or not? Come on, it'll be fun."

As this is happening, the hostess arrives at the table in front of Trish, assuming that the two guests she led were still behind her. "Here we are."

Trish looks up and around, as does the hostess to see where she had lost them. Before Jessica manages to make her escape, Trish starts motioning to them. "Oh, Jessica, David. It's good to see you."

Still, with her back to the table, Jessica's head falls and her eyes screw shut as she cringes. "Fuck." She mutters at the recognition that she was too late. Kilgrave subsequently smiles and waves at Trish as Jessica forces herself to turn around. "Yeah, hi." Her dejected tone goes unnoticed as she makes her way to the table with Kilgrave close behind.

Both Trish and Malcolm stand up to greet them. "Hey, Jessica. David." Malcolm nods at each of them individually.

In a normal circumstance, there might be an exchange of handshakes or hugs. But Jessica makes no motion to accept either, even if they were offered, and immediately sits down. She sits across from Trish and Kilgrave follows suit, sitting across from Malcolm, as to not prolong any type of greeting. He was more interested in the actual conversation that would occur.

It doesn't go unnoticed by Trish that Jessica doesn't acknowledge Malcolm with anything as little as eye contact.

The hostess waits until they're seated to say to the guests that just arrived, "I'll have someone bring out a couple more glasses for you two," referring to the wine that had already been poured for Malcolm and Trish, she makes a brisk exit.

Trish starts by clearing her throat, "We got a few family-sized things to split for the table that should be out soon." Jessica gives her a look which causes her to add, "We weren't sure when you would get here… or if you were coming. So we went ahead and ordered already." She smiles genuinely, despite Jessica's stand-offish nature. "I'm glad you're here, you know." She says first, directly to her sister, then adds, looking to Kilgrave. "Both of you."

"We're glad to be here." Kilgrave returns the smile, speaking for both of them as he reaches for Jessica's hand again under the table. "And I'm sure whatever you ordered for us will be delicious."

Jessica refuses his hand, tightening hers into a fist in rejection.

Appreciating the lack of silence on Kilgrave's end, Trish's smile widens before it fades slightly. "Uh, I invited Malcolm to join us. Obviously." She unsuccessfully hides the nervousness in her laugh.

"We actually have something to tell you." Malcolm looks to her with reassurance. Both of them concurrently place their elbows on the table and slowly reach for the other's hand.

Jessica and Kilgrave could both effortlessly assume what was about to be said. And while Kilgrave was interested in how they would phrase it, Jessica was annoyed and bothered by the theatrics.

Therefore, before either of them even start, she rolls her eyes. "Yeah, I know. I got it."

They both stop and Trish sighs, worried that this was a possibility. "You do?"

"I'm a P.I., Trish." Jessica snarls, shooting her gaze at Malcolm too.

Malcolm uneasily places both his hands back under the table. "How long have you known?"

"Since it started." Her voice raises ever so slightly. "It doesn't take a detective to figure it out anyway, anyone with eyes can see it. I'm not an idiot, I know when my best friend and my employee are fucking behind my back."

Trish sighs and leans back in her chair. Bothered by the term 'fucking' to describe what she saw as a budding relationship.

No one else gets a chance to say anything before the waiter appears with a bottle of wine and two glasses, promptly setting them down and pouring for the late-comers. "Your order will be out in a few minutes. Can I get you anything else right now?"

Seeing as nearly everyone else was processing what Jessica had just spit out, Kilgrave kindly speaks for the group. "No, I think we're good for now."

The moment the waiter leaves, Trish's expression almost saddens. "Why didn't you say anything earlier?"

"Why would I? What purpose would that have served me?" Instinctively, Jessica reaches for her wine glass, wishing the waiter had filled it higher or left the bottle.

"I don't know, maybe you could take an interest in someone else's life for a change…" There was no way for Trish to say that without sounding bitter.

In an attempt to not let Jessica deter the rest of the evening, Kilgrave does exactly that and asks the couple across from him, "How long have you been together?"

"We just celebrated six months the other night actually." Malcolm answers, glad to have Kilgrave's input to shift the mood.

"Oh, well, congratulations to both of you." Seeing as Jessica had already started to down her drink, Kilgrave slightly lifts his glass as a small cheers to them.

Malcolm mutters a thank you and raises his glass as well. Trish does the same as she says, "Thank you. It means a lot, David."

There was a gentle but noticeable stress she put on his name, as it was meant as an intentional jab at Jessica. The three of them take a sip of alcohol as Jessica downs her first glass.

Starting the transition to a new topic, Trish takes a breath. "Anyway, I wanted to tell you because I hope we can both be more honest with each other in the future…"

To Jessica, Trish's tactic was less than subtle. This was all set up to get her to admit who Kilgrave was to her. Literally everyone at the table was waiting to hear about her relationship with him, _especially_ him.

"Uh-huh," Jessica mutters, saying nothing more for the moment.

Luckily for her, the waiter returns to refill her glass and serve the food that had been ordered. Everyone divides the food into healthy portions for a four-way split. Jessica adds a bit more to her plate and digs in with the hopes that eating would excuse her from a large part of the conversation.

When they're alone again and all of them are eating, Trish directs a question to Kilgrave. "So, David. I know we talked a bit before, but what part of the UK are you from?"

Manchester was, of course, the truth, but he smoothly answers, "The London area." He goes on to add a few spontaneous lies to keep the conversation flowing, "I was raised there, but I've spent a lot of time traveling abroad in my adulthood."

"Really? Have you been to New York before?" Trish inquires, glancing at Jessica after a few more bites of food.

"A few years ago. That was the first time I ran into Jessica, actually. Isn't that right, darling?" Kilgrave turns his whole body to look at Jessica. He had already mentioned to Malcolm once that he and Jessica had a 'past', which meant that he had to have met Jessica some time ago for that to track.

While Kilgrave might have planned things to say or was just making this up off the top of his head, Jessica was obviously unprepared to play the improvisational game. Grinding the food between her teeth, she tries not to glare at him. "Yep."

"Let's see… where were we?" Kilgrave mutters as if trying to remember. This allows a pause in the conversation to give her a chance to elaborate. It was clear that if she didn't make something up herself, he was going to pull something out of his ass and she would have no choice but to go with it.

"I really don't wanna talk about this." Jessica cuts in, not looking at Kilgrave, though it was directed at him. His effortless ability to make up bullshit about his fake life bothered her and she didn't want to participate. The fact that Malcolm had come was unmistakably what had thrown her off. Before they left, she was adamant about controlling the flow of the conversation, but now she had practically shut off.

"Come on, Jess. It can't be that bad." Trish jumps in, desperate for the details.

"I'd like to hear it," Malcolm adds with a shrug, though he doesn't show too much enthusiasm as he was aware that making Jessica angry wasn't good for his job.

"I'm sure you won't mind if I tell them." Kilgrave nudges Jessica gently. He pauses again for a number of seconds to see if she would insist but he receives merely an eye roll. Turning back to the couple across from him, he smiles, "Great. So, she might have already had a few drinks, coming out of a convenience store with a bottle of whiskey. Anyway, she was going so fast that she ran straight into me and knocked me on my arse."

As Kilgrave stops to laugh, so does Trish, and Malcolm cracks a smile, as he comments, "That sounds like Jessica."

"I know," Kilgrave goes on. "When she hit me, she dropped her drink and the bottle broke. But either way, she stopped and helped me -"

"That's not what happened." Jessica automatically mumbles a complaint about the details of the story. She hated that she was being dragged into this, but she also didn't want to be the oblivious one in the story.

Since he was the only other one at the table who knew the whole thing was made up, Kilgrave is forced to stifle a laugh, biting his tongue to keep it inside. When he collects himself, he slowly replies, "I'm pretty sure it is…"

More invested than she should have been, she answers sternly, "_You_ tripped and ran into _me_."

Kilgrave tilts his head and allows himself to smirk. "We obviously remember it differently."

"I guess we do." Having downed her second glass of wine, she reaches to her side and picks up Kilgrave's. He raises his eyebrow at her but doesn't protest and she doesn't hesitate to drink half of his glass as well.

Proceeding as normal despite the interruption, he goes on, "Whoever ran into who, the point is, I offered to buy her another drink after that… and then we spent the night together…-"

"Talking." Jessica quickly adds to the end of his sentence.

"Talking. Right." Kilgrave nearly purrs. "I wasn't planning on staying in New York for very long, so we didn't spend more than a few days together before we parted ways and I flew back home. I hadn't seen her in years until just a few weeks ago."

Knowing that this was where they needed to be careful, Jessica interrupts once again, directing most of what she says to Trish, "He ran into some trouble at home and needed to leave the country for a bit. He remembered I was a P.I. and thought he could use my assistance… so… I'm helping."

This genuinely seemed to surprise Trish, as she was expecting a different narrative. "Oh? You _are _her client?" The question was aimed towards Kilgrave and clearly showed that Trish had assumed Jessica was lying about him being a client, just to cover their relationship.

Kilgrave hesitates before stating as vaguely as possible, "Well… she certainly is helping me..." He glances at Jessica momentarily as he picks up his wine glass. With a distinct intention, he turns it so that the exact part she drank from sits against his lips. His tongue noticeably touches the top of the glass as he takes down what was left of the alcohol, grinning when he's done.

With a measurable level of frustration and almost disgust, she watches him do this and just like that, she blurts out, "We're fucking." It was undeniable that if she didn't say it now, he would have kept teasing it all night and for the weeks to come until the overtly sexual nature of their relationship was made known in one way or another. Trish practically knew by now anyway.

Malcolm stops with a fork halfway up to his mouth and Trish nearly chokes on a bite of food. She tries to mask her emotions by taking her time chewing and swallowing before she speaks.

It wasn't much of a surprise for Kilgrave, as his behavior didn't really give her a choice. He would have preferred it if she had said they were dating, and given the appropriate amount of weight and context to their relationship, seeing as they were in love with each other. But it was baby-steps with Jessica. Giving those two a moment to process that, he subconsciously licks his lips without missing a beat. "I am still her client too. I have a few things that I need her help to work out. But our relationship is… complicated."

There's still a long enough silence on the other end of the table for Jessica to clarify further. This was the best way for her to dictate the narrative. "No, it's not complicated. He came to me for help, I gave him a place to stay, and we occasionally have sex. Okay?"

"Wow, okay…" Trish attempts to play it off calmly but shrugging, though she seems to be practically bursting with questions. "Yeah…"

At this point, Malcolm appeared simply uncomfortable.

"Well, it's a bit more than _just_ sex…" Looking across the table, Kilgrave tilts his head back and forth, then lowers his voice and speaks as if Jessica isn't present, "Jessica is a bit… hmm, how should I put this? … She's allergic to labels…"

"I can hear you." Bending her fork in her grip, she growls under her breath, "Asshole…"

Facing her again, Kilgrave smiles. "The point is, I'm willing to wait for you to admit that we're a couple." That statement was as truthful as he had been all night.

*****_IT'S A DATE_*****

It wasn't an easy subject to move past, but eventually, they managed to have a more regular conversation. Trish would have inquired more about the nature of their relationship, but she figured that getting either one of them alone later on would yield more results than questioning them both in front of Malcolm. Instead, she asked more standardized questions directed towards Kilgrave and his life. That included him talking about his 'life' in London and how he used to be a P.I. as well, even though he wasn't nearly as skilled as Jessica. By this point, Jessica had practically given up on regulating what he said. Instead, she managed to drink more alcohol than the three of them combined, though it wasn't a surprise to anyone.

Jessica was mostly silent by the time everyone was saying their goodbyes. She remained that way for the car ride back to her apartment with Kilgrave, despite his constant teasing and boasting about how well the evening went.

The first time Jessica opens her mouth again is when Penny greets her as she comes in the door. "Hey. How'd it go?" She huffs, quietly, well aware that Axel should be in bed at this hour.

Keeping her tone just as low, the babysitter responds with a smile, "I got him in bed about an hour ago. He really didn't want to sleep before you got home to tuck him in, but I read him a few stories and he was out like a light."

"Thank you." Jessica says, trying to force her exhausted features to resemble a smile.

"Of course." She beams back. As she picks up her purse from a chair, she says. "I hope you two had a good night out."

"We did." Kilgrave answers. This earns him a stern glare from Jessica, to which he grins, then moves to sit on the sofa.

"I'm glad to hear it." Pulling her purse strap over her shoulder, she heads to the door. "Well, I'll be off. Just call whenever you need me."

"Sure… and Penny?" Jessica stops her right before she leaves, "Next time, don't confirm anything without talking to me first."

A little embarrassed, Penny blushes and nods. "Right. It won't happen again…" Keeping her head down a little, she trots to the elevator.

After closing the front door, Jessica makes her way to Axel's room to check on him. As Penny said, he was fast asleep. She gives him a kiss on the forehead and whispers an "I love you," before gently closing his door again. Her gaze falls on Kilgrave as they were alone now. "How good is your memory?" Is the first thing she says to him. Her voice remains relatively quiet.

His head tilts. "My memory?"

"Yep." She nods and then waits for some type of answer, as if he was going to get her meaning right away. When all she gets back is a shrug, she scowls. "You realize that _everything_ you said to them tonight _is_ the rest of your life now, right?" His hesitation as he absorbs this causes her to shake her head and sit down behind her desk. Her head falls against the wood and she groans. "You and I both need to remember every detail of bullshit you said."

Kilgrave furrows his eyebrows. "_This_ is what you're upset about?"

"Of course it is." She growls for a moment, lifting her head. "Do you know how shitty it's going to be if you contradict yourself in front of them? Or if I say something that doesn't match the past you made up? How goddamn suspicious is that going to look?" Her eyes turn to Axel's door, reminding herself not to raise her voice. Instead, she takes a long, slow breath. In spite of this, her heart was starting to race. "And your mannerisms, Kilgrave. Your fucking mannerisms. You erased your voice and your appearance but you can't… you can't _be yourself_ in front of them. You can't act like _you_."

His playfulness finally seems to diminish and he follows her lead by taking a breath. "You can't honestly believe they could recognize me from simply the way I behave."

"You're right. It would take an incredible leap for them to think that you are Kilgrave. But… I don't want Trish believing that I'm sleeping with a replica of you…" This wasn't Jessica being angry. This was her being anxious. "The most vivid thing she does remember about you is that you fucking tormented and kidnapped me." Her laugh is deflated as if she couldn't believe the point she was at in her life. "And the moment she recognizes your behavior, she's gonna be even more concerned about me than she already is."

It was like a switch had been flipped for Kilgrave and he was only just now realizing the gravity of this persona that he had created. And the trigger was Jessica's obvious anxiety. "Right…" He mumbles, running his hand through his hair briefly. "Well if it becomes an issue, I can just erase that part of me from her memory too…"

"No, no you can't." Squeezing her eyes shut does nothing to alleviate the headache she's getting. "You've done enough memory-erasing. Coming from someone who's experienced it. You've done enough." Her eyes open to look at him, being as sincere as possible. "Can you just… _please_ just try to think before you make things up? And try to act a little more when you're around them…" She's in no mood to lecture or argue, so she ends by saying, "I'd appreciate it."

"Sure." Kilgrave says softly, followed by a sigh. It was near impossible not to feel some level of guilt for taking everything as lightly as he did over dinner. Standing up from the sofa, he walks over to her and sits on the edge of the desk. His way of apologizing was by brushing the back of his hand against her cheek. "I'll try harder." He breathes, thankful that she didn't pull away from him.

"Thanks." She mutters, and though she doesn't lean into him, her eyelids flutter.

After a beat of silence, he takes his hand away and slowly asks, "Should I leave you the bed tonight?"

She rolls her eyes but the gesture wasn't lost on her, causing her to crack a smile. "Whatever…" Standing up, she moves around him to the bedroom, where she waits for him to follow before closing the door.

* * *

Author's note:

COVID-19/coronavirus has caused a lot to change in the last few months. Quarantine is not fun. So I hope this chapter helped you take your mind off things for a while. Writing it certainly helped me. I literally always say I wanna write more, but I seriously want to try to put out more chapters than I have so far this year. Until then, if you get bored stuck at home, Purple Kisses is always a great re-read ;)

You certainly don't need a health and safety lecture from me... but from me to you, anyone reading this, I care about you :) Please take care of yourselves and stay healthy. If you wanna chat, about anything, my Discord account is: Vale Luna#6531

See ya soon,

Vale Luna


	18. This Is Weird

_**Chapter Eighteen: This Is Weird**_

Day 10:

Jessica's eyes slowly open and for a moment, she blinks in confusion. Her body shifts and she turns her head to the nightstand next to her. She squints at the time on her phone and groans. It's five in the morning. After putting her phone down, she lays on her back and stares up at the ceiling. Kilgrave is fast asleep with his back turned to her.

The dream she was just having was… unpleasant. Not necessarily a nightmare, but an experience that was distressing on some level. She can't remember any of it. Only the emotions it gave her.

Unsuccessful in recalling the details, she turns to lay down on her side, facing Kilgrave. With a sigh, she reaches forward and very gently combs her fingers through his hair, almost as a way to cope with the lingering feelings this dream left with her. She pauses after one stroke and observes his response. He doesn't move. So she combs through his hair again, slowing down to appreciate its softness. This time, he stirs, his limbs briefly stretching out, his head readjusting on the pillow. It didn't matter much now, because she had already shifted closer, preparing for another stroke down the back of his head. Her fingertips track the same path for a third time, only going slightly further, past his hair and down his neck. When she touches the raised scar from where Glitch's chip used to be, she stalls.

It's this single reminder that causes her to recall some part of her dream. In fact, she had dreamt that _this_ was a dream; the past week and a half. She envisioned waking up to a reality where Kilgrave was still dead and her life went on as it should have.

Her eyebrows furrow and she abruptly pulls her hand back. _That _was what was so distressing to her?

Kilgrave turns over onto his other side to face her, his eyes remaining closed. He yawns and hums a little before gradually opening his eyes. It's clear that he expected her to still be asleep when he looks at her because upon seeing her expression, he frowns. "Jessica?" Whispering, he pulls the covers closer to them. "What time is it?"

"Umm…" Trying to process the question in the midst of her other scrambling thoughts, she shakes her head and whispers back, "I don't know, early..."

"Are you okay?" When her answer isn't immediate, he sits up and looks at her more intently, quickly shaking off his sleepiness. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She lies automatically, then groans at her own response. Annoyed by herself, she carefully sits up as well and rests her back against the headboard.

Kilgrave waits, as she sighs.

Though he had turned to look at her, she looks down at her knees. Slowly, the proper words formulate in her mouth. "You don't remember anything… about being dead?"

He sighs too, seeing what this was about, and shakes his head. "Nothing." After he woke up and was told that he had in fact died, he thought a lot about his lack of existence, to the point that it was quite painful. Still, he attempts to reiterate what he had been able to figure out. "Maybe it's impossible to remember. But it was sort of like being asleep, I guess." He slides closer and softly smiles at her, "Why? Were you hoping I could tell you what Hell looks like?"

She holds back a smirk and rolls her eyes. "Yeah, right." Her gaze stays down and becomes increasingly contemplative.

"Why are you thinking about it?" Concerned with her state of mind, he reaches for her hand and is pleasantly surprised when she doesn't pull away.

"I was…-" She quickly abandons that train of thought and finally looks him in the eye when she asks, "This is weird… right? This situation we're in is weird…"

"Kind of." He mutters, laughing nervously. His thumb brushes against the back of her hand and he tries not to frown again. "Well… it's weird _how_ we got here, and there are certainly a lot of things I would change about our past if I could, but… _us_… here, together… I don't think that's weird…"

She nods, but there was a level of understanding that seemed to be missing. The silence between them is prolonged before she whispers, "The scar where… the scar on the back of your neck. Does it hurt?"

Grateful to be able to hear what was on her mind for once and provide some reassurance, he says, "No. It doesn't bother me."

Again, she nods, but her face doesn't express any amount of confidence that was detectable in the dark.

Kilgrave fills her lack of response. "If it makes you feel any better, I promise I'm okay." He breathes out before leaning over to kiss her on the cheek.

Yet, she turns her head at the last second and captures his lips with hers. Her mouth opens and her tongue finds his with delicacy. As if she couldn't help herself, she kisses him affectionately and her hand squeezes his. It lasts a handful of seconds before she pulls away from him and turns her head forward. Blinking, she wipes the corner of her mouth with her other hand.

Understandably caught off guard, Kilgrave takes a shallow breath in through his teeth, letting his eyes roll back closed. Sometimes he would forget how good she tasted, and reminders like that were delicious. Instead of going in for seconds, his head falls back on the wall behind him and he returns the squeeze of her hand.

The silence lingers once more, until Jessica mumbles. "I'm just gonna sit here… for a minute."

"Me too." He answers, leaving his eyes closed.

*****_THIS IS WEIRD_*****

When Jessica gives the address of a nearby park to the cab driver, Kilgrave raises his eyebrow. "The park? Why?"

"Trish is there with Axel. She has a photoshoot or something she has to get to, so I figured we'd save her the trouble of taking him back to the apartment." Jessica mutters, though her thoughts were clearly elsewhere. So were his.

The two had just returned from completing Kilgrave's first task for ODMA, following his assignment to apprehend the Ramsey sisters. The strange thing about it was how uneventful it was. The man he was sent to recruit, Matthew Turner, really was a normal guy. Kilgrave used his powers to force his honesty, and even with the thoroughness of Jessica's questioning, they could gain no useful information from him. He had a low-level corporate job, a wife, and one kid. It didn't come as a surprise that he was a mutant, but his powers of water manipulation were severely underdeveloped and frankly mundane. He had never heard of Zayden Price, but he was vaguely familiar with ODMA. Nothing else about him or his life was even interesting, let alone helpful. When they finished questioning him, Kilgrave told him to go to ODMA and sign up for the informatory course as the contract stated.

"What are you thinking?" Kilgrave asks after a moment, glancing at her as she looks out the window.

"Something about this off…" She answers, shoving her hands into her pockets.

"I know." Pulling out his phone, he fires off a text to Shadow to say that he was done.

Going on, Jessica's eyes narrow in thought. "They _know_ the full extent of what you can do…" she changes her wording slightly, so as to not clue in their driver, "and the first thing they have you do is this? Either they actually are harmless or they don't want to overwhelm you on your first task, and they have something much bigger planned for later. And I doubt they're harmless…"

Shadow answers, _{That is good news. As soon as we verify his attendance, payment will be made. I'll be in touch.} - 4:36pm._

Kilgrave groans and slumps, adjusting his jacket. "I'm tired of this already."

"You won't work for them forever. I'll make sure of that."

Her protective tone leaves him smiling.

It takes ten minutes for them to arrive at the park and Jessica leads the way. Since it was a warm autumn Sunday, there were plenty of people out enjoying the weather, but she had no problem finding Trish and Axel, as she had brought him to this park many times before.

"Mommy!" Axel exclaims when he sees them approaching and runs to hug her around her waist.

"Hey, kid." Jessica's thoughtful expression morphs into a smile as she effortlessly lifts Axel up under his arms and rests him on her hip. Since he had run to her, she starts carrying him back to where he and Trish had been sitting.

Wrapping his arms around her neck, Axel beams and waves at Kilgrave. "Hi, Daddy!"

Jessica momentarily tenses, although, luckily, Trish was too far away to hear him say that.

Kilgrave grins proudly. "Hi, Axel."

Trish stands up off the blanket in the grass they were sitting on and brushes the wrinkles out of her pants. She smiles at both of them as they reach her. "Hey, thanks for meeting me here."

"Of course, I know you have work to do." Jessica nods, before turning to look at Axel. "You can head out and we'll pack up here."

"Great." She gives Jessica and Axel a brief group hug. "I'll see you later, okay?"

"Bye, Aunt Trish!" Axel waves.

As she turns to leave, she peers at Kilgrave, still smiling. "Bye, guys."

Once she's out of sight, Jessica sets Axel back down and bends to pick up the blanket they had spread out. "Let's get packed up and go back home."

Axel starts pouting immediately. "But… you just got here. And… I didn'ts finish my bug house!"

Jessica stops moving their belongings and gazes at him. "Your what?"

"My bug house!" Flopping back down on the blanket, he points to the grass next to them where he had collected a pile of sticks and fallen leaves. There didn't appear to be much shape or structure to it, although he was proud of the work he had done so far. "I haven't even got the roof up yet…" He continues to pout.

Looking at the pile, she attempts not to sigh. "Okay, but Mommy is tired. And I'm sure the bugs won't mind if the roof isn't on."

Kilgrave slides his arm around Jessica's waist, a smile plastered on his face. "Oh come on, Jessica. You can't expect us to leave when his bug house doesn't even have a roof yet."

She pushes his arm down and glares at him, but Axel was overjoyed to have someone in his corner. "Right! See, I need more sticks for the bottom and then the leaves will be on top."

"It can't hurt to stay a bit longer." Kilgrave chimes in again, holding back a laugh. "At least until his bug house is completed."

After being double-teamed, Jessica throws her hands up, looking back to Axel. "Fine. But if we stay, you have to promise not to complain about finishing your homework when we get home."

"Thank you, Mommy! I promise." He beams, quickly setting to work on his nature project again.

"We're gonna sit down over here, okay, kid?" She says, motioning to the bench that was close behind him.

Axel nods, though he doesn't look up to see where she had motioned.

Letting her sigh be heard this time, she and Kilgrave take a seat on the bench.

The moment they sit down, Kilgrave's eyes flash. Something about the view of the trees and city line directly in front of him was familiar. After only a second of trying to recall why that was, he remembers the very first time he saw Axel and the first time he saw Jessica after six years. The picture that ODMA presented him on the day he woke up, was of them in almost this exact same spot. The fact that the bench was included in the picture from behind compels him to glance behind himself, as if to pinpoint where the person who took the photo was standing.

The brown-haired woman who had been staring right at Kilgrave quickly turns her head down to her phone in hand, though her screen wasn't even on. He only glances back for a second and doesn't seem to notice her, as she's off to the side more. That was the second time today that he had nearly looked directly at her. It's not like he, or either of them, would recognize her, but if they saw her behind them more than once, they would obviously become suspicious. If they ever approached her about it, she would certainly and honestly explain herself, but she'd rather not before she's certain that Kilgrave is who she thinks he is. Her racing heartbeat begins to slow down again, and she resumes observing him.

The wind blows and splits her short bangs, revealing the piercing nature of her brown eyes, a darker shade than her hair. Though her features are young and smooth with the light and professional application of cosmetics, her expression is stern more often than not. She leans against the tree next to her, with one leg crossed over the other. Her navy cache pants come down to her ankles which show off a gold ankle bracelet that matches her drop-shaped earrings and the chain around her neck. Her feet ached from standing all day despite the fact that she was wearing flats, however, it didn't bother her as she was used to wearing heels most of the time. She shifts to face the wind, allowing it to blow her hair back, staying close enough to the bench they were on to catch parts of what they were saying.

It is hard to discern every word due to the busy nature of the park around them, but what Jessica says next is pretty clear. "If I hear the words 'bug house' again, I'm going to lose it."

Kilgrave's laugh stands out. "But look how happy he is." He gestures down to the boy.

The brown-haired woman moves around the tree slightly and angles herself differently to gaze at the child. He was gleefully pulling up blades of grass to fort around the stack of twigs he collected. She rolls her eyes and reaches into her long tan jacket pocket, pulling out a bent pack of fruit-flavored gum. Taking out a fresh stick, she systematically spits the stale piece in her mouth into the wrapper and sticks the new piece under her tongue. The pack goes back in her pocket and she methodically folds the wrapper.

Jessica grumbles something else, inaudible to her. The woman watches as Kilgrave puts his arm around Jessica's shoulders, and this time, he isn't pushed away.

She smacks her gum in annoyance. Their conversation from then on is too immaterial to be worth her time. They discuss work plans for tomorrow, getting interrupted regularly by the child, making unimpressive discoveries about common plants. It continues to frustrate her, as any time she gets close enough to hear what Kilgrave is saying, it's never what she wants to hear. He's too careful in public apparently.

Even still, the brown-haired woman doesn't move. She can't risk leaving, as he was so rarely outside and in earshot. She could track him location to location as much as she wanted, but following him into buildings without looking suspect was nearly impossible.

"I need some help." The boy says rather loudly, ensuring that his mother and Kilgrave heard him.

Upon this interruption, Jessica asks him, "What you need?"

"I need you to hold this bit up while I add more." The boy motions to a section of sticks he was holding onto.

Jessica nudges Kilgrave. "This is all you."

The lines around Kilgrave's eyes indicate his smile. Instead of protesting, he seems _happy_ to do it, as he gets up from the bench and sits down on the blanket next to the child. "What should I be holding?"

Even though the boy asked for his mother, he appears just as pleased with her substitute. "Here." His small hands assist Kilgrave's in showing him what he was supposed to be doing.

A crease appears between the brown-haired woman's brows and she grinds the gum between her teeth.

"I think I got it." Kilgrave clearly grins now, glancing in Jessica's direction as he holds the bundle of sticks.

"Okay, good." The boy lets go and springs to his feet. "Don't let it fall!"

"Where are you going?" Jessica asks him, as he was evidently about to run off.

"We need more supplies!" The boy exclaims and sprints in the direction of the nearest tree.

"Don't go far!" Jessica calls back to him.

"I won't!" He yells as he begins rummaging around the tree's base for more branches and leaves.

The brown-haired woman keeps her attention on Kilgrave. He stays generally still and peers up at Jessica, unquestionably entertained. She must not have returned his amount of amusement because he laughs, "I'm a grown man, in a bloody suit, sitting on the ground, holding a pile of sticks together to help create a house. For bugs."

From the side, it's unclear to the woman what Jessica's face was expressing. Her tone, however, is light. "Do you want an award for that?"

Kilgrave's reply is something along the lines of, "Yes, actually," as the woman's eye is caught by the wandering child. He had migrated to a different tree which was now out of Jessica's line of vision. Jessica doesn't seem to notice, as she's occupied in banter with Kilgrave.

While her main focus was Kilgrave, this was a unique opportunity for the brown-haired woman.

Swiftly, and quietly, she slips behind the tree she was leaning on. Her slim figure and agility made it easy to weave through the moving people and make her way to where the boy was foraging. She bends down and picks up a sizable stick, holding it delicately between two fingers as she approaches from the side. She's able to get so close to him without him noticing, that he bumps into her before he sees her.

"Oopsie." The child looks up at the woman, innocently. "Sorry." He says with humble sincerity, clutching a handful of plants.

"It's fine." The woman replies, doing her best attempt at a smile, though it came off more as a crooked smirk. The sound of her British accent causes the child to tilt his head. It was airier and posher sounding than Kilgrave's, her tone uniformly rigid, and her words precisely enunciated. "I saw you were collecting these. Here you go." She says, offering the twig she picked up to him.

Rather reluctantly, he reaches out and receives it. "Thank you." He mutters, sounding a little wary now.

Chewing her gum between words, she takes advantage of this chance, "Is that your mummy and daddy over there?" She motions in the general direction of Jessica and Kilgrave.

The boy slowly nods.

"Oh, really?" She tries to use the tone of voice that most adults use with children, but can't seem to get the frequency right. "What's your daddy's name?"

The boy takes a small step backward, looking around for a moment. "My mommy told me not to talk to strangers…" His voice had gotten quieter, muffled with anxiety.

The woman was smart enough to know not to respond to that, or continue to press him. Instead, she forces another crooked smile and reaches into her pocket. "Want a piece of gum?" He appears to be ready to take another step away, until he sees the colorful packaging. "It's strawberry flavored."

With that, the apprehensive look on his face dissipates. "Yes, please." She hands him a piece and he immediately unwraps it and puts it in his mouth, stuffing the wrapper in his pocket. "Thank you." He says politely, vigorously gnawing on it.

Her nose involuntarily wrinkles after watching his dirty hands touch something that went into his mouth. "You're welcome." She answers stiffly, the first to turn and start walking away. "Have a good day."

"You too!" The boy returns to his prancing, going back in the direction he came.

The brown-haired woman promptly makes her way back to the tree where she was standing before, eager to see if Jessica had noticed the absence of her child. She hadn't, and only looks up away from Kilgrave to see her son returning.

Kilgrave laughs when the child sits down, laying out everything he gathered. "That's a lot of supplies."

"We gotta wrap this up soon, kid." Jessica says, though this did seem to make her laugh too.

"I'm almost done." The boy says, chomping hard on the piece of gum in his mouth.

Jessica's entire demeanor shifts, and it's even noticeable from the distance the woman was standing at. "Axel. What are you chewing on?"

"Strawberry gum." The boy beams, looking at his sticks, rather than his mother.

"Where did you get it?" Jessica asks, sitting up at attention. Kilgrave's demeanor begins to mimic hers.

The boy shrugs. "That lady over there gave it to me."

"What lady?" Jessica is on her feet, her stance braced.

The woman stops chewing her own gum and moves behind the tree, rather than leaning on its side. She stays there, peeping around the trunk. This most definitely would look strange to other people, but she doesn't really care as long as the child didn't point her out.

The boy motions to where they had their interaction but doesn't actually check if she was still there. He doesn't appear to understand that his mother is upset. Kilgrave lets go of what he was instructed to hold and reflects the concern on her face, turning to look in that direction as well.

"Spit it out, right now." Jessica is growling. She holds her hand out in front of his mouth.

Finally clued in that something is wrong, the boy frowns. "Why…? I know you said -"

"Spit it out, Axel." Kilgrave demands, using a softer tone than Jessica's, but with an equal amount of authority. And just like that, the boy spits it into his mother's hand.

The brown-haired woman blinks twice. Did she just witness it? No, it could have been a fluke. She needed more than one instance to be certain.

Jessica and Kilgrave exchange telling glances. "Come on. We're leaving." Jessica snaps, flicking the gum into a nearby bin before lifting up her son with one hand.

Upon realizing his mistake, the boy's lower lip quivers. "I'm sorry, Mommy. Please can we stay…?" Reaching toward his unfinished masterpiece, he attempts to get down.

"No." Jessica snaps again, using her other hand to hold him to her chest and keep his arms down. Her tone switches from angry to dispirited when she asks Kilgrave, "Can you grab the blanket?"

"Sure." He sighs, showing signs of distress for both of them as he picks up the blanket and follows them to the park exit.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" The boy continues to cry, tears filling his wide eyes as he longingly looks toward what he left behind.

The brown-haired woman watches them walk past her to leave. They were likely headed back to Jessica's apartment, so there was no point in following them anymore for today.

Her eyes dart to the bin where the boy's gum had been thrown away and she groans at the idea that just came to her. This wasn't part of the plan either, and yet she reaches into her pocket, retrieving a small pack of tissues. Taking one out, she approaches the bin with a grimace. Luckily, the chewed piece of gum had stuck to the side of the bag, so she didn't need to reach far to get it. It takes her a few seconds to overcome her disgust before she pinches it with the tissue. She folds it multiple times then carefully sets it in the bottom for her pocket.

Despite the tediousness of what she had set out to do, she was one step closer to finding out the truth. Using one of the sanitary wipes that she always had with her, she wipes each of her hands thoroughly, then turns to saunter out of the park, pressing the strawberry gum under her tongue.

* * *

Author's note:

It didn't take _over _a month for an update?! Shocker.

I need to make another appreciation post about _Lady in rose_! For her help with brainstorming, and her integral role in creating the brown-haired woman with me. What's her deal by the way? If you wanna send me guesses about what you think she's up to, I'd love to hear them (though I will neither confirm nor deny those guesses :)

I hope everyone is staying healthy and keeping busy! I look forward to the continuation of our story.


	19. Bedtime

_**Chapter Nineteen: Bedtime**_

Day 25:

Today, Jessica had merely instructed Kilgrave to call her if anything strange happened, rather than actually being there with him. She had a limited amount of time to work on the details of a case with Malcolm before they had a meeting with their client. Though Kilgrave wasn't nearly as busy as Jessica was today, he still had a job of his own and a deadline attached to it.

Standing in the apartment of the woman he was sent for, Kilgrave sighs as he pulls out his phone. As he puts it to his ear, he glances at the couple sitting on the sofa in front of him. They are both in their early to mid-thirties and appear to be happy enough, though neither of them really had anything going for them.

When Jessica answers, she sounds eager. "_Well?"_

Kilgrave shrugs out of habit. "She's not a mutant, she's never heard of Zayden and she's only vaguely familiar with ODMA."

The couple had been instructed to sit down and stay silent, but even upon hearing this, the woman fidgets nervously.

"_Jesus fucking…" _Jessica trails off, continuing to curse as the phone briefly moves from her mouth. The lack of connection between the people Kilgrave was being used to retrieve and the organization was evidently frustrating. When her voice is clear again, she asks, "_And what about her job?"_

He sighs again. "I don't know, she doesn't have one."

"_You don't know, or she doesn't have one? Which is it?"_ Jessica groans, regretting the decision to let him go alone. Instead of waiting for what would be a snappy answer from him, she simply demands, "_Have her repeat it to me."_

Kilgrave's eyes roll, but he doesn't hesitate to do as she says. Taking the phone away from his ear, he holds it out in front of the woman. "Repeat what you told me about your job."

The woman sits up a little straighter and leans closer to the phone automatically. "I'm a writer." She starts, her unplaceable accent giving a certain nasally tone to her voice. "So I'm currently working on getting my first book published. I haven't quite gotten through the editing stages, which my boyfriend is helping with," she motions to the man next to her, "and I'm trying to find the right publisher for my style of writing which is -"

"Skip to the point." Kilgrave cuts her off with a bit of a growl, growing tired of her rambling.

Jumping to the end as she was told, she mutters, "I'm looking for a full-time job right now, so I can support myself until my book comes out…"

Putting the phone back to his ear, he asks, "Did you get that?"

"_Yeah."_ Jessica huffs out a breath. "_I guess that's it."_

"I guess so… I'll see you back at the office."

"_Fine." _Jessica is the first to hang up.

Once the call is disconnected, Kilgrave pulls up the instructions of his newest contract on his phone, rereading them over to ensure he got the wording correct. It's a strange request, but once again, they have no real evidence of wrongdoing. He speaks the commands stiffly and slowly. "At eight o'clock today, go and apply for a job at the ODMA headquarters in the city. The man you should speak with is Zayden Price. You really want this job." Having covered the specifics of the contract, Kilgrave pivots on his heel. Before he walks out the door, he instructs the couple to go about their day normally until then.

*****_BEDTIME_*****

It's always a good day for Zayden when he gets to knock something off his to-do list. Today is one of those days.

As eight o'clock draws closer, he prepares himself for the exciting night he has yet to come. If nothing else good came of having Bliss and Aura back on his side, this would be well enough. So many stars had to align in order for this one specific idea to play out, including Kilgrave and the sisters all working for him at the same time. Since he had given Kilgrave a few softball missions, he figured this one wouldn't exact any suspicion either.

To remind himself why he is going through all this trouble, he opens the encoded icon on his desktop entitled 'Reminders'. It takes a few passwords to get into, as the contents reveal a lot about him and his life. Inside 'Reminders', there are two folders; 'Finished' and 'Current'. The number of items in the finished category is considerably less than those that are current, only because people are constantly being added to the current list.

Inside the 'Current' folder, Zayden scrolls past the long list of names he has yet to move to 'Finished'. He passes the files titled 'Jones, Axel', 'Jones, Jessica' and 'Thompson, Kevin' before he reaches who he is looking for. A man named Arnold Wagner.

His file contained a large amount of informational text about his life, career, and family, along with a single audio file that was dated back nearly a year ago. This is among one of the older unfinished cases that Zayden had yet to get to, which is one reason today excited him so much. Taking a deep breath, he plays the audio aloud, skipping to a designated time-stamp.

"_\- solution is to make cuts to something."_ The tape begins. Arnold was speaking. "_How else are we supposed to fund a brand new division in Dallas? Have you even looked at the numbers?"_

A woman's voice is heard scoffing. "_We shouldn't have to make cuts to existing programs. How is that helping? We just need D.C. to approve my higher funding proposal, and we can -"_

"_D.C. isn't going to give us more money, Cheryll!"_ Arnold barked. There's an awkwardly long pause before he's heard sucking the air through his teeth. "_Seriously? Everyone's too scared to say it? Fine. I'll say it. We should make cuts to division 2."_

"_Excuse me?"_ Zayden's own voice cut in the call.

"_We were all thinking it!"_ Arnold said defensively, waiting for someone to jump in and back him up. No one did, so he continued digging himself a hole, going on a tirade. "_Mr. Price, your division has spent more than division 1, 3, and 4 combined last year. I warned the board against giving you this much control. I have nothing against you, you're a good kid. But you have absolutely no idea how to run something of this scale. You're completely incompetent when it comes to management. I'm sure it's no coincidence that your father was -"_

Zayden cuts the audio off, his jaw clenched as he's reminded of his anger.

Arnold's daughter would be here any minute.

As her arrival is imminent, Zayden calls for the sisters to join him in his office.

Aura had been given very specific directions a few days ago, since she needed it, however, Bliss' directions were purposely much vaguer.

The sisters enter Zayden's office just as a security guard was calling him. He puts his hand up to stop Bliss from opening her mouth as he takes the phone to his ear.

"_Sir, Chelsea Wagner is here to see you." _The guard says, choosing his words carefully in front of an outsider.

As this is right on time, he grins. "Did you get her on camera asking for a job?"

"_Yes, sir."_

"Good. Tell her I'll meet with her in a few minutes and take her across the street."

The building that was being referred to wasn't owned by Zayden or ODMA, but he rented out a unique room there, which is laid out similarly to a hotel room, including a bathroom, bed, and office space. Zayden sometimes has himself or his staff conduct business there when something involves the use of abilities, which they obviously can't do in the power dead-zone, nor is it worth it to drive out to the warehouse he owned. Bliss herself is very familiar with this room, as they often spend nights there together, considering he never allows anyone back at his actual apartment.

"_Yes, sir."_ The guard repeats.

Zayden hangs up and motions towards Aura, who abruptly looks up from staring at her feet. She uncomfortably pulls at the gloves she had just put on, as she was informed that they were about to leave the power dead-zone. "Aura, go downstairs and catch up with them before they leave." He tells her, making sure the contract instructions were as clear as they could be. "As soon as you arrive with them, use your powers on Chelsea and come back to your room here. That's all you need to do."

Aura nervously looks at her sister, again worried about being split up. Bliss does her best to comfort her with the limited information she had. "This will be quick. You got it."

"Yeah…" Aura mutters as Bliss pats her on the back. She turns and leaves in a hurry to catch up.

When it's just Bliss and Zayden in the room together, Bliss frowns at him. A new bruise on her cheek is nicely covered up with make-up now. She had gotten enough bruises from her time with him to know how to hide them properly. Her frown is for a different reason, however. "I thought I could calm her down, but… I don't think she's ready to start doing assignments again."

"She'll get used to working more soon." Zayden answers with a complete lack of concern. He turns around and picks up his silver overcoat that was laying on his chair and throws it on.

Bliss's nod is unconvincing. She mutters, taking a breath, "I'm just really worried about her… She's kinda shut down more than usual…"

"It's an adjustment period." Zayden huffs, still not giving her his full attention as he prepares to leave his office. "Just like after you became a Risen. It'll take some time to get used to being productive again." When he actually stops and sees her troubled expression, his tone changes to something sterner. "Bliss. She'll be fine."

Taking that as her cue to stop talking about it, Bliss attempts a more decisive nod. "Yeah. I'm sure…" Watching him slide his phone into his back jean pocket, she reverts to a more joyful attitude. "So… how come you gave her a contract and not me? Do you not need me for this?" She playfully pouts at him, taking a step closer.

He finally smiles at her, stepping towards her as well. "I do need you for this, actually. I figured there's no point in giving you contracts anymore. After all, you're not just any employee, are you? We're a team now."

Bliss' eyes light up. Her breath catches as he leans closer, teasing her with a kiss. "What do you need me to do?"

"I need your powers." He whispers, grinning as he looks at her. "I also need you to hold the camera."

*****_BEDTIME_*****

"Have we considered the possibility that the missions I'm given are completely meaningless because there's nothing really being hidden from us?" Kilgrave asks, sitting on the desk next to Jessica's chair.

Axel is in his bedroom, doing homework, but since his door is open, Jessica keeps her voice down, answering concisely. "No." Twice now, she had made the mistake of underestimating both Kilgrave and Glitch, before going head to head with them. The consequences of that were still being felt in her life. She doesn't plan to make the same mistake this time with Zayden. Something more is definitely going on.

"Right." He sighs, having thought the same thing, but questioned if it was just paranoia or annoyance.

"This one felt oddly specific. We should follow up with Chelsea later." Jessica watches Kilgrave nod as she begins to yawn. Looking at the time, she sees that it's only nine o'clock. Yet, she is already fatigued. She hadn't gotten nearly as much accomplished today as she wanted to. Closing her laptop, she stands up and makes her way to Axel's room. "Okay, kid. Time for bed."

When she steps into his room, she lets out a long breath upon finding that he wasn't visible. Her eyes shift to the second small plastic chair in his room. She had employed a new method of dealing with this that she started last week, considering he did this so often now, not only to attempt to get out of going to school, but also to delay bedtime. Instead of seeking out his obvious choice, she says, "If I get to three, you lose your TV time for tomorrow. One… two…" She begins to count, pausing a little longer in between this number and the next.

Just on time, Axel quickly reforms from his desk chair, already in his pajamas. He huffs out a breath to imitate his mother. "It's not fun when you don't come find me…"

Instead of responding, she scoops him up under his arm and swings him into bed. This gets him to giggle and despite her tiredness, she smiles. Still, she doesn't linger much and tucks him in quickly. "Goodnight, I love you. Always have,"

"Always will." Axel responds automatically but reaches for her before she leaves. "Can I have a bedtime story?"

"Not tonight." Jessica shakes her head.

"Please." He's quick to resort to whining. "I'm not even that tired yet!"

Before Jessica can decline again, Kilgrave appears from around the corner. "I can read him a story." He had been lingering outside the door, as he had for a few days now, familiarizing himself with their normal routine. To him, it was an integral step in becoming more incorporated in their familial system.

Jessica raises her eyebrow, glancing at him over her shoulder.

Axel beams at him, "Yes, please." He says, not even recognizing that his mother had to give permission for this to happen.

Three weeks ago, Jessica wouldn't have even considered the idea. But today, she pauses before saying a tentative, "Okay." If Kilgrave wanted to prove that he could be a father, maybe it was time she started letting him. As she stands up, she kisses Axel on the forehead.

Kilgrave smiles, taking a seat on the edge of the bed where Jessica had been sitting as she leaves. "What are you in the mood for?" Kilgrave asks Axel, leaning over to the bookshelf to scan the selection of children's stories he had.

"Hmm…" Axel only peeks at the bookshelf for a second before deciding to ask, "Can you make one up? I've heard all of those a lot before."

"Oh?" Kilgrave tilts his head slightly. Thinking on it, he glances behind him to find that Jessica is gone, and her interjections won't stop him. "Sure, I can come up with something."

Axel continues to beam and pulls the covers up to his neck, snuggling under the blanket to prepare to listen intently.

With as much kid-friendly creatively as Kilgrave could muster, he begins telling a recognizable story. "Once upon a time, there was a boy. A special boy who could have almost anything in the world he wanted. But that much power made the boy incredibly lonely. And one day-"

Axel's curiosity immediately causes him to interrupt with a question. "How did power make the boy lonely?"

Kilgrave blinks, not expecting an insightful inquiry. "Well… he got practically everything he wanted, and he became unhappy because, after a while, there was no satisfaction in getting or accomplishing things anymore. It all became repetitive and boring. And it pushed people away. So the boy was incapable of forming genuine connections with people. Does that make sense?"

Axel quickly nods, proud of himself for understanding what he viewed as a complex idea. His mouth stays closed as he waits for what would happen next.

With that, Kilgrave continues, "One day, the boy met an equally extraordinary girl. She was beautiful and powerful and everything the boy never knew he wanted. The boy very quickly fell in love with this girl, but the girl… she didn't love him back."

"Why?" Axel's question is significantly less complicated now.

"The boy was…" He hesitates, trying to come up with a delicate way to phrase this. "... reckless, and he was angry. He made a lot of bad decisions and in the process… he hurt the girl. Very badly." This causes Axel to frown, as he was already invested in the story, but doesn't say more and allows Kilgrave to continue. "But the girl was so brave and strong that she decided to hang out with the boy more, despite being hurt by him. She knew that he was unhappy and lonely and that deep down, he was a good person.

"Not only did the girl hang out with him, but she taught him to be better and use his power to help other people. She did this with a great deal of success. The two of them ran away together and for the first time in his life, the boy was _truly _happy. But then, while continuing to try and help people like the girl taught him, the boy became badly injured by a villain."

Axel visibly tenses, now too enthralled to interrupt with questions.

"The girl was very worried about the boy, and with the help of a few other people, the girl managed to defeat the villain and get the boy out of harm's way. Unfortunately, everything still wasn't okay."

The relief on Axel's face dissipates.

"The boy's injuries didn't heal. They were getting worse, so bad in fact, that the boy began to die. The girl did everything she could to help him, but nothing worked. Even with the boy's immense power, he couldn't save himself. Believing that the boy had died, the girl left. She went home without him."

Kilgrave's somewhat long, contemplative pause causes Axel's eyes to flood with worry.

"A long, long time passed. The girl grew up. But she never moved on. One day, the girl got a knock on her door…" As an immersive touch to his frankly already dramatic storytelling, Kilgrave gently knocks three times on the wooden dresser next to him. Axel doesn't even look at his hand to see where the sound had come from, but rather gasps a little bit as if the story had arrived in his room. Kilgrave forces his smile back. "When the girl opened her door, she saw the boy standing across from her. His was alive and his injuries were perfectly healed.

"Since it had been so long, it was very hard for the girl to come to terms with his return, but eventually, the girl hugged the boy tightly. Just like he had many times before, the boy told the girl that he loved her. And for the first time ever, the girl told him that she loved him too." Kilgrave looks back at Axel, finally allowing himself to smile.

There was an obvious sense of happiness that came over Jessica's son upon hearing this. Still, he wasn't _quite_ satisfied yet. "Then what?" Axel asks.

Knowing that there was only one way for a children's story to end, Kilgrave gladly says, "Then, they lived happily ever after. The end."

As if on cue, Axel slowly yawns, his face settling into a contented, sleepy expression. "I like that story."

"Me too." Standing up, Kilgrave quietly switches off the lamp light.

"Goodnight, Daddy." Axel mutters, twisting to lay on his side.

"Goodnight, Axel." Still smiling, Kilgrave leaves, closing the door behind him. He finds that Jessica is in the kitchen, lethargically washing dishes from the dinner they had eaten together.

"Well?" She asks upon hearing him approach, pretending that she hadn't been listening to most of the story. Hearing him recount their lives that way, no matter how rudimentary and oversimplified it was, showed her that Kilgrave had a much more in-depth understanding of his own behavior than she might have previously thought. She, of course, would say none of this to him.

"He'll be asleep soon." Walking up directly behind her, he wraps his arms around her waist and rests his head on her shoulder. "You should go to sleep too."

She mutters her response, not even breaking the speed at which she was washing. "I have to finish this."

"Surely the dishes can wait until tomorrow." Lifting his head, he breathes against the back of her neck, before gently kissing it. "Christ, you're tense." He remarks, only from observing the way she's moving.

"I'm exhausted." She retorts, her jaw tensing too. "But I'm never gonna feel like doing this so it might as well be now."

Taking this as an opportunity to stay on her good side even longer, Kilgrave slowly pulls away, moving to stand next her. "Fine. Why don't you get in bed, wait for me to come give you a massage, and _I'll _finish the dishes."

Scoffing, she still doesn't bother stopping. "Yeah, right."

"Seriously." He rolls up his shirt sleeves before putting his hands between hers and the dishes.

Jessica finally stops and eyes him, only to discover that he actually means it. "Okay…" His willingness to help is frankly puzzling and it causes her to squint her eyes at him as she starts to dry her hands.

Her skepticism only makes him grin, as he picks up where she left off. Her eyes stay narrow and she glances back at him as she heads to the bathroom.

Though he is happy to appease her, he still grimaces as he reaches for the next dish and the sponge. It's a task that he is generally foreign to, but he gets the idea. He still struggles with the thought that normal people have to do stuff like this for themselves all the time… Luckily, Jessica hadn't left him with too much.

By the time he's done, Jessica's in bed.

She left the bedroom light on for him, which Kilgrave switches off as he enters, taking his shirt off simultaneously. His trousers follow, before he sits down on his side of the bed. Jessica is barely awake, laying on her stomach and she lets out a quiet sigh when he sits down.

Instead of getting under the covers with her, he pulls them back and carefully lifts the bottom of her loose, cotton nightshirt that she had on. Before he starts to massage her shoulders under her shirt, she attempts to roll over. "No, you don't need to -"

"Jessica. I was serious about this too." He says back immediately, expecting this initial resistance from her. To prevent any more protest, Kilgrave leans down and plants a series of kisses down her spine. "You had a long day." He mutters, against her skin his hands going back to working the knots out of her muscles.

With that, she falls back into the position she had been in before, saying nothing else.

Using a combination of his hands and his lips, Kilgrave works his way up and down her back, worshipping nearly every inch of her exposed skin. It doesn't take long before she begins to hum involuntarily, showing her inevitable appreciation in the only way she was comfortable with. It was all the gratification he needed.

Faster than he expected, he observes the significant decrease in the tempo of her breathing. Pleased with his work today, he pulls her shirt back down and slips under the blanket next to her. And he was _truly _happy.

*****_BEDTIME_*****

Bliss tries her absolute best to stop trembling, but can't seem to. Her hands clutch Zayden's phone as she watches Chelsea being escorted out of the room by the security guard that brought her. Chelsea leaves in a daze, being influenced by both of the sister's powers, their effects lingering. She would never remember what occurred here today, but Bliss would have a hard time forgetting.

There are so many emotions raging through her. She's disturbed, angry, turned on, and most importantly, she's jealous.

"How did that look?" Zayden grins at her when they're alone again. He sits up on the bed and looks around for his shirt, which ended up on the floor on the other side of the room. He shrugs and doesn't bother, but rather pulls his jeans up, that had fallen around his ankles.

Part of her wanted to make the joke of saying 'I forgot to start recording', but she knew that he lacked such a sense of humor. Besides, she wasn't in the joking mood either. Instead, she mutters a disheartened, "Good…"

"Let's see." He holds his hand out, waiting for her to hand him his phone.

Silently, she walks closer and places the phone in his hand, avoiding touching the bed when she does. That bed is one she had fond memories of and it hurt immensely to watch him get into it with another person. The two of them weren't necessarily exclusive before she left him, and she was always aware of the fickleness of their relationship. But she thought things would be different now that they had professed their love for each other. Besides, how could he expect her to be okay with this? Using her powers on a woman to allow him to sleep her, then having to witness and record it. Was he trying to torture her?

As he starts to review the video, she hopes she can't be heard behind the camera whimpering.

Seeming pleased enough with it, Zayden glides his tongue over his lips. Momentarily ignoring Bliss, he does some quick editing. He cuts out all the foreplay and has the video start when he actually penetrates her. Bliss cringes rehearing the recording of Chelsea calling out his name. He goes on to cut another significant amount off the tail end of the video, removing the ending to ensure that the intended recipient would have no idea how long they were actually having sex for.

When he's done editing, he opens the encrypted app on his phone. The app allowed him to send messages without them being traced back to him. It also deleted any messages from the recipient's phone after they've been viewed and prevented screen recording on the recipient's end.

He enters Arnold Wagner's number and sends three separate messages. The first is a twenty-second video that security had sent over of Chelsea asking for a job at ODMA and inquiring to meet with Zayden. The second message simply reads _{Your daughter thinks I'm perfectly capable when it comes to management} - 9:54pm._ The last message is the concise two-minute video that he had just edited.

The likelihood that anything would come of this was low. Arnold probably didn't even remember saying what he had that so deeply pissed Zayden off. Why would he? It was such a long time ago comparatively and the budget issue had been resolved. There was honestly nothing to be gained from this for Zayden, besides the satisfaction of knowing that Arnold would be horrified to see this. And that was it. A week's worth of planning to violate and humiliate one man who had made a single and legitimate complaint about him. It was incredibly trivial, and yet, it was what Zayden thrived on.

He smiles again, thinking of how satisfying it would be to move another name from 'Current' to 'Finished'. Only when he sets his phone down does he notice Bliss' unnerved behavior. Knowing at least part of what she was thinking, his eyes flash at her and he breaks the silence in the room. "Does it bother you, seeing me with other women?"

Her eyebrows furrow, as this question had a far too obvious answer. "Of course…" She mutters, turning away from his piercing gaze momentarily.

"Good." He answers, looking her up and down. The intensity of his stare increases and he shifts, sitting on the edge of the bed facing her. He says nothing else. No words of comfort or reassurance to put her at ease. Instead, he leans up and pulls on her jacket to draw her in with a kiss, which seemed to be reconciliation enough for Bliss.


End file.
